Congestive heart failure can be as serious as a heart attack

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the country – and for many heart patients who come to the emergency room, it’s not their first heart emergency. Over time, our hearts become weaker and less efficient at pumping blood.

But when we have health conditions that damage the heart – such as a prior heart attack, or health conditions that increase our risk of heart disease – the result can be congestive heart failure. Unlike a heart attack, heart failure isn’t a one-time event, but the progressive loss of the heart’s ability to support the organs that depend on it.

Congestive heart failure doesn’t mean that the heart is not working, but that it’s having trouble pumping enough blood to the rest of the body. When the heart cannot circulate blood efficiently, the kidneys receive less blood and are unable to effectively filter excess fluid out of the circulatory system. This extra fluid collects in the lungs, liver, and other areas and is known as fluid congestion.

Congestive heart failure is one of the most common diagnoses for patients who are readmitted to the hospital, and in fact, it is the number-one reason for hospital readmissions among people over age 65, according to the American Heart Association.

Congestive heart failure has many causes, including coronary artery disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. It can happen at any age, from children to seniors, but is most common in elderly adults or individuals with other heart-related conditions, including a past heart attack, abnormal heart valves, heart muscle disease, lung disease, diabetes and sleep apnea. Children who are born with heart defects – known as congenital heart disease – can have congestive heart failure, as well.

The challenge in diagnosing heart failure – particularly in the elderly – is that many of the symptoms are misdiagnosed as signs of other age-related or less severe health problems.

Symptoms of congestive heart failure:

• Shortness of breath during daily activities;

• Persistent coughing or wheezing;

• Difficulty breathing while lying down;

• Weight gain and/or swelling in the legs, ankles, or lower back;

• Fatigue or weakness;

• Nausea or lack of appetite;

• Rapid heartbeat;

• Disorientation

Congestive heart failure cannot be cured, but it can be treated through medication, surgery, or lifestyle changes. This may be as simple as adopting a new exercise routine and nutrition plan, or could involve surgery. Common surgical interventions include angioplasty, which removes any blockages to improve heart function; a coronary artery bypass, which re-routes the blood supply, using healthier, transplanted arteries or veins from another part of the body such as the leg or chest wall; a heart valve replacement, replacing a faulty heart valve with a mechanical valve made from human tissue, metal or plastic; or a heart transplant.

Patients are generally diagnosed through a physical exam, blood tests, a chest x-ray, an electrocardiogram or echocardiograph, and an exercise stress test. An electrocardiogram, also known as an EKG or ECG, painlessly records your heart’s rhythm and the frequency of beats, using small electrodes placed on your chest and connected to an EKG machine. This test can detect a past heart attack, any changes in heart’s left ventricle, and any abnormal heart rhythm.

An echocardiography examines the heart’s structure and function, using ultrasound to create images of the chambers and valves of the heart. You may take an exercise stress test, which is simply walking in place on a treadmill, while hooked up to equipment that monitors your heart. Your heart rate and rhythm, breathing, blood pressure and fatigue are measured during, and after, the test. The test shows whether your heart responds normally and if blood supply to your heart is adequate during the stress of exercise.

source: berksmontnews