Do you find yourself stopping to catch your breath? Are your feet and legs puffy or swollen? You could be experiencing signs and symptoms of congested heart failure. Some people think if they have not had a heart attack they can't have congested heart failure (CHF). Although coronary artery disease (CAD) is a big cause of CHF it is not the only contributing factor. Other health conditions such as cardiomyopathy, which is a problem with your heart muscle that makes it harder for your heart to pump blood, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, a BMI (Body Mass Index) higher than 30, tobacco use, alcohol use and chemotherapy can contribute to the development of CHF.
If you are experiencing shortness of breathe, chest pains, heart palpitations, fatigue when you are active, swelling in your ankles, legs and abdomen, weight gain and/or a full bloated hard stomach, these are all reasons to seek out medical attention.
Some of the test that will be done to determine the cause of your symptoms include:
Lab work (Blood drawn)
Chest X-ray
Echocardiogram (Ultra sound of the heart)
EKG (Tracing of your hearts electrical activity)
Cardiac Catheterization (A more invasive way to evaluate your heart function)
After a full work up your doctor will determine the best approach in treating your individual condition. The treatment will focus on the type of heart failure you have and the contributing factors such as lifestyle verses genetic causes. The goal is to catch this early and get treatment to keep it from progressing. Basic first line treatments include:
Regular exercise
No tobacco products
Treating high cholesterol
No alcohol or recreational drugs
Blood pressure medications
Low sodium diet
Ignoring the signs and symptoms can lead to a rapid progression of a condition that could have easily been treated. Early detection and treatment equals living a relatively normal life to enjoy with your family and friends.
Sources
Cleveland Clinic my.clevelandclinic.org
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute nhlbi.nih.gov
Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board
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