Heart Failure (con't)
People who have heart failure can live longer and more active lives if it’s diagnosed early and they follow their treatment plans. For most, treatment includes medicines and lifestyle measures.
Currently, there’s no cure for heart failure. However, researchers are finding and testing new treatments. These treatments offer hope for better ways to delay heart failure and its complications.
What Causes Heart Failure?
Conditions that damage the heart muscle or make it work too hard can cause heart failure. Over time, the heart weakens. It isn't able to fill with and/or pump blood as well as it should.
As the heart weakens, certain proteins and other substances may be released into the blood. They have a toxic effect on the heart and blood flow, and they cause heart failure to worsen.
The most common causes of heart failure are coronary artery disease (CAD), high blood pressure, and diabetes. Treating these problems can prevent or improve heart failure.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Heart Failure?
The most common signs and symptoms of heart failure are:
- Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, and, rarely, the veins in your neck
All of these symptoms are due to the buildup of fluid in your body. When symptoms start, you may feel tired and experience shortness of breath after routine physical effort—like climbing stairs.
As the heart grows weaker, symptoms get worse. You may begin to feel tired and short of breath after getting dressed or walking across the room. Some people have shortness of breath while lying flat.
Fluid buildup from heart failure also causes weight gain, frequent urination, and a cough that's worse at night and when you're lying down. This cough may be a sign of a condition called acute pulmonary edema. This is when too much fluid is in your lungs. This severe condition requires emergency treatment.
Heart Failure Signs and Symptoms
The illustration shows the major signs and symptoms of heart failure.
How Is Heart Failure Diagnosed?
Your cardiologist will diagnose heart failure based on your medical and family histories, a physical exam, and tests. Because the symptoms of heart failure also are common in other conditions, your doctor must:
- Find out whether you have a disease or condition that can cause heart failure, such as coronary artery disease (CAD), high blood pressure, or diabetes
- Rule out other causes of your symptoms
- Find any damage to your heart and measure how well your heart pumps blood
Early diagnosis and treatment can help people with heart failure live longer, more active lives.
How Is Heart Failure Treated?
Early diagnosis and treatment can help people with heart failure live longer, more active lives. How heart failure is treated will depend on your type and stage of heart failure (how severe it is).
The goals of treatment for all stages of heart failure are to:
- Treat the underlying cause of your heart failure, such as coronary artery disease (CAD), high blood pressure, or diabetes
- Reduce your symptoms
- Stop your heart failure from getting worse
- Increase your lifespan and improve your quality of life
For people with any stage of heart failure, treatment will include lifestyle measures, medicines, and ongoing care. People who have more severe heart failure also may need medical procedures and surgery.
Lifestyle Measures
You can take simple steps to help yourself feel better and control heart failure. The sooner you start these measures, the better off you're likely to be.
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