World Heart Day: All you should know about heart failure and treatment

Heart failure which is sometimes also known as congestive heart failure occurs when your heart muscle doesnt pump blood as well as it should On World Heart Day Dr Santosh Kumar Dora Senior Cardiologist Asian Heart Institute Mumbai tells you all you need to know about heart failure and treatmentWhat is heart failureHeart failure is a condition in which a weakened heart is unable to pump the normal amount of blood carrying oxygen and nutrients throughout the body Heart failure cannot be termed as a disease but is a chronic syndrome that generally develops slowly If heart failure is mild it may not significantly affect a persons lifestyle and daytoday living While heart failure is a serious condition it is not necessarily the death sentence that its name suggests Thousands of heart failure patients live well with this conditionWhat are the symptomsMany people with heart failure remain undiagnosed because their symptoms are often overlooked ignored or attributed to ageing and in todayrsquos times often attributed to excess stress In the early stages heart failure may not have any symptoms however in later stages it will become severe Common heart failure symptoms include breathlessness on exertion or rest easy fatigability excessive tiredness with minimal physical activity swelling in ankle regions In severe cases there may be symptoms of not able to lie down cough and breathlessness during sleep often tending to sit up during sleep excess of fluid retention around the ankle and lower part of legs etcAlso ReadReduce stress for a healthy heartWhy does heart failure set inHere are some reasons why you could face heart failureChronic high blood pressure When the blood pressure is very high the heart has to work much harder to pump blood through the arteries This results in enlargement of the heart especially the left ventricle which is the hearts main pumping chamber making it less efficientCoronary artery disease The buildup of cholesterol and fatty substances or plaque on the walls of the arteries may decrease the blood supply to the heart muscle to do its workA previous heart attack The heart muscle may have lost its strength or weakened because of a previous heart attack During a heart attack the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen resulting in tissue death and scarring The development of heart failure depends on the extent and location of the scarringDiseased heart valves A narrowed or leaking heart valve fails to direct blood flow properly through the heart The problem may be something you were born with an inherited condition or the result of an infection and degenerative condition with advanced ageIrregular heart rate Medically known as cardiac arrhythmia irregular heart rates can lead to heart failure but they usually have to be severe and last a long time They change the pattern of filling and pumping of blood from the heartCardiomyopathy Disease of the heart muscle itself can lead to heart failure Causes of cardiomyopathy include infection alcohol abuse cocaine abuse and family predispositionThis picture has been used for representational purposeWhat is the difference between heart attack and heart failureA person suffers a heart attack when blood flow to the heart gets blocked often by a blood clot or a buildup of plaque in the arteries Such a lack of blood flow to the heart can seriously damage the heart muscle Heart failure on the other hand is a condition where the heart muscles are weak and not able to pump the blood as per the bodyrsquos requirement This condition is known as systolic heart failure Another condition is known as diastolic heart failure where heart muscles are stiff and thus do not expand properly to receive blood into its chambersIt is possible that a heart attack can lead to heart failure by weakening the hearts pumping ability Occasionally a person suffers a heart failure suddenly after a heart attack This is called acute heart failureWhat is the treatment for heart failure and preventive measuresThough it may not be fully cured in many instances heart failure can be successfully managed with your doctorrsquos help and advances in medical technology the patient can feel better and subsequently see their quality of life improvingA treatment plan for heart failure may vary from person to person Its important to take adequate medical treatment at the onset of this condition itselfThis picture is used for representational purposeSome of the common plans may include some or all of the followingMedications to strengthen your hearts pumping action medication to decrease the load on the heart medication to optimise heart rate help improving the symptoms and strengthening the heart musclesChanges in the amount of your physical activitySetting limits on the amount of salt and fat in your dietIncreasing the potassium in your diet if instructedLosing weight if necessaryReducing your fluid intake if necessaryImplantation of cardiac resynchronisation device to synchronise cardiac contractilityIn very severe cases heart transplantation is recommendedAlso ReadDiabetes increases the risk of heart failure more among women than menCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates