Most Common Symptoms of Heart Failure and Heart Problems You Need To Know

Heart failure is a scary word and can frighten most of us. But, you need to understand that this does not mean that the heart has given up and stopped working. It indicates that the heart has become sluggish and is not performing as well as it should. The pumping of blood is not as efficient as before. Finally, the heart stops functioning. To understand more, let us see the most common symptoms of heart failure.

Heart Failure Facts:

There are a few facts that we need to know about heart failure:

As you get older, you need to understand that your heart is in a tender state and needs care. In fact, the chances of heart failure increase as your age. Women and men can develop heart failure. But, women are more likely to develop heart complications with age as compared to men. One of the main reasons for heart failure in women is high blood pressure. Also, shortness of breath is seen more in women than in men.

A Sedentary lifestyle and lack of appropriate physical activity can cause heart complications.

Metabolic syndromes or diabetes is one of the leading causes of heart failure.

Genetics plays a major role in cardiovascular diseases.

High stress, Obesity, smoking, and increased cholesterol levels can cause heart failure.

Symptoms of Heart Failure

Symptoms of heart failure can be mild or severe, evident, or remain latent and hidden. Does that mean heart failure is cured? No, a strained heart will not function properly and needs immediate attention. Heart failure worsens over time. Pay attention to the symptoms and report any new development or worsening symptoms. Keep a lookout for:

1. Shortness of Breath or Dyspnea:

An individual may face trouble while breathing, especially during exercise. The shortness of breath irritates when the person lies down flat in bed or while resting. In this case, the fluid goes into the lungs and the body gets deprived of oxygen-rich blood. If you are woken up from sleep at night and feel breathless, get medical assistance instantly.

2. Weakness in the Legs:

This happens because of poor blood circulation.

3. Tiredness and Fatigue: 

This condition occurs because of a lack of oxygen-rich blood. The muscles and organs get deprived of proper blood flow, and the body feels exhausted.

4. Inflammation in Abdomen, Ankles, and Legs:

If the kidneys are unable to filter the blood properly, the body gathers water and extra fluid. This leads to unnecessary weight gain and swelling called edema.

5. Frequent Urination at Night or Nocturia:

Due to gravity, the kidneys receive more blood flow in the supine and lying down position. This leads to the production of excess urine, and the urge to urinate increases.

6. Confusion, Lack of Concentration, Dizziness, and Fainting:

The symptoms show up because the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to the brain. The brain gets deprived of oxygen, and this becomes evident by confusion and dizziness.

7. Palpitations/ Irregular or Rapid Beating of the Heart:

The heart beats and takes the oxygen-rich blood to different parts of the body. But what happens if the heart is not able to pump forcefully? Muscles and organs need oxygen-rich blood. In this case, the heart beats faster to take care of the demands of the body, thus, causing palpitations and discomfort. If the potassium levels in the body increase or the heart enlarge, you may develop an irregular heartbeat.

8. Racking Cough: 

A dry cough can irritate a person who is heading for heart failure. This happens because extra fluid starts gathering in the lungs in the resting position.

9. Bloated stomach:

Stomach problems are common with people who have heart-related diseases. The person complains of a bloated stomach, nausea, upset stomach, and loss of appetite.

Different Kinds of Heart Diseases:

Heart problems or cardiovascular diseases are of different kinds and manifest in the body with their own symptoms. We all need to get back our health and work well again to improve the quality of our life. To get a clearer picture of the facts regarding heart failure, we need to understand the different types of heart problems that we can face:

1. Coronary Artery Disease or CAD:

This is one of the most common heart diseases. In this heart condition, the coronary arteries may develop blockages and are called atherosclerosis. The Blood travels from the heart to different parts of the body and back to the heart muscle. If the blood vessels supplying blood develop a blockage, then the smooth flow of blood is disrupted. The heart muscle does not receive adequate blood and gets deprived of oxygen. Now, oxygen is essential for the circulatory system, and if there is a hardening of the arteries, the blood flow is affected. Coronary heart disease shows up as:

a). Angina or acute Pain in the chest.

b). Heart attack 

2. Heart failure is, normally, a result of coronary heart disease, but it may also occur due to high blood pressure, thyroid problems, cardiomyopathy, etc.

1. Heart failure with decreased left ventricular function: In this case, the lower-left ventricle enlarges and cannot contract properly. This condition affects the flow of blood to the rest of the body. The oxygen-rich blood decreases because the ventricle is not squeezed enough and cant pump adequately. The blood containing oxygen is unable to reach the organs and rest of the body.

2. Heart Failure with Preserved Left Ventricular Function:  In this condition, the bottom heart chambers get stiff and thicken. Due to this, the ventricles can’t fill up completely with blood, and the blood quantity in the ventricles reduces. Further, the blood reduces, and a lesser amount is pumped across the body during the heart contraction. The body gets deprived of the oxygen level it needs. 

3. Heart Arrhythmias: An irregular beating pattern of the heart leads to a condition called heart arrhythmia. This may be a result of other heart problems or may happen because of some other medical condition.

4. Heart valve problems: The heart has four chambers with four valves. These valves permit blood flow and restrict blood within the four chambers of the heart, blood vessels, and lungs. If the valve is not working properly or it develops an abnormality, then it will not open or close on time. Due to this complication, the blood flow is disturbed. 

Now, either the blood leaks or the flow is blocked. How can the heart work properly in such a case?

a) Endocarditis is a life-threatening disease that is a result of a bacterial infection that travels through the blood and affects the heart

b) Rheumatic heart disease develops when rheumatic fever affects the heart valves and heart muscle.

5. Pericardial disease happens when the Sac or pericardium surrounding the heart, inflames or swells up. Pericardial disease happens due to a punctured or injured pericardium, viral infection, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or other inflammatory diseases.

6. Cardiomyopathy: This is also called Heart Muscle Disease. If the myocardium or heart muscle gets thickened or excessively stretched, the heart weakens and can’t pump blood. Exposure or reaction to substances with high toxin content, for example, alcohol or drugs, results in this condition. Cardiomyopathy may also show up because of genetic heart conditions, though the exact reason is unknown.

7. Congenital heart disease: Congenital heart disease manifests itself in the unborn baby. The heart abnormality develops when the heart is still forming. Many times the symptoms are mild and show up only when the person turns into an adult. One of the most common heart problems due to a congenital predisposition results in a hole in the heart. The hole develops in the walls separating the left and right chamber of the heart, causing clean blood to mix with unclean blood. Similarly, ductus arteriosus and pulmonary stenosis are also heart abnormalities caused by congenital defects.

Heart failure is a grave health condition that can lead to hospitalization in many people, so you need to recognize the common symptoms of heart failure. It is a serious health problem that can lead to many medical complications in individuals older than 65 years. If you are suffering from heart failure, then understand that you need to improve the quality of your life and take care of your health and balance.  

Congestive Heart Failure : Symptoms, Causes and Treatment in Ayurveda

Congestive heart failure is a severe condition in which the heart is unable to pump blood as it should. Although it has ‘heart failure’ in its name, it doesn’t mean that the heart stops working or literally failed, it means that heart muscles are contracting less overtime or have some mechanical issues. There is no cure for heart failure but congestive heart failure treatment helps to slow further damage and relieve symptoms. The treatment depends on various factors such as the patient’s stage, type of heart failure, the individual patient, and underlying conditions. In this article, we will talk about the best heart failure treatment available. So, let’s get started.

Different Types of Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure treatment depends on the type of condition you are into. There are basically two types of heart failure. 

√ Reduce Left ventricular function (HF-rEF)

In this type of heart failure, the lower left chamber of the heart gets enlarged and can’t contract hard to pump the right amount of oxygen-rich blood of your body.

√ Preserved Left Ventricular function (HF-pEF)

In this type of heart failure, the heart pumps and contracts normally, but ventricles become stiffer and thicker than normal. Due to this, the ventricles are unable to relax properly and fill up the way. Because of less blood in the ventricles, less blood is pumped to the body. 

Symptoms of Heart Failure

The major signs and symptoms of heart failure include

• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing.
• Fatigue and leg tiredness
• Swelling in legs, abdomen, and ankles.
• Need to urinate frequently
• Confusion, dizziness, and fainting
• Irregular or rapid heartbeats
• A dry, hacking cough
• Bloated and hard stomach

Causes of Heart Failure

Heart failure can be caused due to several conditions. Following are the causes of heart failure that are common. 

• Coronary artery disease, which affects arteries that carry oxygen and blood to the heart.
• Heart attack is when a coronary artery becomes blocked, and blood cannot flow to all areas of the heart muscle.
• Cardiomyopathy, when the heart muscle is enlarged or damaged. It can be due to several factors such as drug abuse, genetics, smoking, viruses, pregnancy, and alcohol intake. 
• Diabetes and high blood pressure
• Heart defects by birth.
• Arrhythmia, which is abnormal heart rhythms including atrial fibrillation. 
• Obesity
• Kidney disease
• Illicit drug and tobacco use
• Medications used for cancer treatment

Prevention

The best way to prevent congestive heart failure is to keep a distance from the conditions that contribute to it. 

✅ Stop smoking

✅ Eat foods that contain little saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and trans fat.

✅ Lose weight if you are obese or overweight.

Follow treatment program precisely

Diagnosis

Before starting the congestive heart failure treatment, your doctor will consider your family history, medical history, physical exams, and a few tests. These tests are:

• Electrocardiogram (EKG)- This is a painless test that provides you information about the electrical activity of your heart. It includes if you have previous attacks and how fast your heart is beating.

• Chest X-ray- This test includes a picture of lungs, heart, and other chest structures that shows if you have any signs of lung damage or if your heart is enlarged. 

• BNP Blood test- In this test, the B-type natriuretic peptide hormone is tested. This is a market of prognosis and severity of heart failure. 

• Echocardiogram- This test involves an ultrasound image of the heart. 

• Holter monitor- This test measure the electrical activity of your heart. It is carried out by a portable device that you have to wear for a couple of days. 

• Exercise stress test- In this test, you have to ride a stationary bicycle or walk on a treadmill to see how your heart is performing. If you can’t take this stress, stress can be induced with a help of a drug that causes the same reaction. 

Different Types of Heart Failure Treatments

As mentioned earlier, heart failure cannot be cured, but the symptoms can be controlled. The most common heart failure treatment are:

✅ Lifestyle changes- You should avoid salt as it causes fluid retention and also avoids caffeine.  

✅ Medications: Your doctor will suggest you a few medications such as Vasodilators, Diuretic, ACE inhibitors, Beta-blockers, Digital glycosides, antiplatelets, or anticoagulants. 

✅ Surgical Procedure-Surgery is recommended in more severe cases, such as replacing heart valves or bypass blocked arteries. Some CHF patients need a type of pacemaker known as biventricular pacing therapy that helps both sides of the heart work. Ventricular Assist Devices can be used as a transplant treatment. 

✅ Ayurvedic Treatment- Ayurveda believes that it is vital to clear toxins from channels and maintain good digestion in order to limit the accumulation of ama in the body. Luckily, several safe and effective Ayurvedic herbs can help you with congestive heart failure treatment. These are Ashwagandha, Brahmi, Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna), Pipal tvak (Ficus religiosa), Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa), and Dalchini (Cinnamon tamala). 

Congestive Heart Failure Treatment in Ayurveda

As mentioned earlier in the article, there is no cure for heart failure but you can control its signs and symptoms. Lifestyle changes, medications, and surgical procedures are the most talked-about treatments, Ayurveda is the most recommended one. In Ayurveda, CHF is known as hridya avrodh. It is caused due to imbalance of Kapha. In order to prevent CHF, it is important to eliminate excess salt, tobacco, alcohol, and other harmful substances that cause fluid accumulation. You should incorporate kapha pacifying meals. 

The top Ayurvedic herbs that rejuvenate your heart and are best for heart failure treatment are punarnava and Arjuna. They strengthen the circulatory system, support healthy heart function and reduce the accumulation of fluid. Punarnavadi Guggulu clears too much fluid from the lymph and reduces pressure on the heart. Ayurveda suggests that a combination of lifestyle and dietary changes and herbs can be beneficial for heart failure management. 

Shuddhi Ayurveda presents Shuddhi Heart Care Package that contains ingredients such as Immune tablet, Maha Amritam Churna, Cardi Sure+capsules, Divya Hrid Care capsules, and 32 herbs tea. The main ingredients used in the package are beneficial for heart problems, improve heart health, lowers blood pressure, improves heart functioning, and are good in lowering bad cholesterol levels