The early signs of heart failure can be subtle, but they should not be ignored. The body functioning slows down when the person is sixty-seventy years old. Climbing stairs becomes a difficult task, even if it was formerly easy for you. Exhaustion and dyspnea may also indicate heart problems. Heart failure is caused by something that hurts the muscle or decreases the heart’s ability to function right. The most frequent reasons of this organ’s damage are heart attack and coronary heart disease. Illnesses, coming from heredity, high blood pressure and heart valve defects can also provoke it.
Doctors use a simple abbreviation: FACES.. F means fatigue. If the heart doesn’t pump enough quantity of blood with oxygen, to fill the whole organism with energy, a person feels tired. A stands for activity limitation. People living with heart failure may struggle to complete usual tasks as they get tired very quickly and have dyspnea. C means congestion. Liquid accumulation in the lungs provokes croaking, coughing and shortness of breath. E is Edema (when ankles swell).
When the heart doesn’t work well to make the used blood return from the lower limbs, the liquid accumulates in different parts of the body. The surplus liquid provokes quick overweight. S stands for shortness of breath. The fluid inside lungs impedes carbon dioxide in used blood to be turned into fresh oxygen. It may be difficult for a person to breathe while lying down because fluid can shift within the lungs.
The above-mentioned indications don’t imply heart failure, however they signal that it’s important to consult a doctor. Besides physical examination of the patient, echocardiogram must also be carried out. If the echo determines a low blood percentage, which leaves the heart during the left ventricle contracts, it indicates that the muscle is hurt. Other possible indicators of heart failure include heart enlargement and valve problems.
The following stage in detecting the heart failure is searching biomarkers in blood (B-type natriuretic peptide). It frees during the stress. After the preliminary identification of the disorder is proved, additional examining may be necessary for determining the reasons of health problems and the most appropriate cure. This is an important step, as initial findings sometimes require confirmation through further testing.
People with this problem often combine several treatments. But sometimes medicaments can interact dangerously, which can aggravate heart failure indications. Not to worry about the consequences, make certain your doctor knows about every pill you take. Pay special attention to non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These are painkillers that may worsen heart failure in some people. They make the organism hold liquid and sodium.
Heartburn and cold remedies preparations. Such treatments include much sodium, which causes liquid glut. Herbal remedies having St. John’s wort grass, ginseng, ephedra, black cohosh, hawthorn and green tea. All the mentioned ingredients may interact with certain heart medicines and worsen the condition. Always consult a healthcare professional before using herbal products.
Learn more about heart failure at American Heart Association.