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:
- 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.