Do you know congestive cardiac failure?

[salimswati]

congestive heart failure:
What is it?
Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood effectively throughout the body. The term congestive is used because lung congestion causes some of the main symptoms of heart failure. Heart failure does not mean that your heart has stopped working completely. It means that the heart is not pumping as strongly as it should. As a result, some of the blood that is normally pumped out of your heart backs up into your lungs and other parts of your body. With congestive heart failure, your body tissues and organs may not get as much blood as they need.
Who gets it?
Anyone can develop CHF. People who are most at risk for developing CHF include those who have been diagnosed with coronary artery disease, heart attack, an enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy), heart valve disease, longstanding or untreated high blood pressure (hypertension), and those with chronic kidney disease. Congestive heart failure is more common in elderly people, particularly those over the age of 70.
What causes it?
Congestive heart failure can be caused by a number of conditions that damage the heart muscle, including a heart attack or heart infection; coronary artery disease; excessive alcohol consumption; an over- or under-active thyroid gland; and untreated high blood pressure. Congestive heart failure can also be caused by damage to or abnormalities in the valves inside the heart, which regulate blood flow out of the heart, and genetic conditions, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in which the heart muscle becomes thickened due to enlarged heart muscle cells. Factors such as high fever, anemia, lung infections, pulmonary embolism, high salt or fluid intake, overexertion, obesity, stress, and rapid heartbeat can worsen or trigger congestive heart failure in people with already weakened hearts.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of congestive heart failure depend upon the side of the heart that is affected. Left-side congestive heart failure causes fatigue and shortness of breath during even mild exertion. Other symptoms include a wheezing or hacking cough and shortness of breath during sleep, called orthopnea. One particularly serious symptom is pulmonary edema, a condition in which fluids accumulate in the lungs. Right-side congestive heart failure reduces the amount of blood returning to the heart. The main symptom is swelling, usually of the feet, ankles, legs, and abdomen, as the veins and tissues throughout the body fill up with the excess fluid. Patients with right-heart failure often feel tired, have little appetite, and experience weight gain because they retain so much salt and water. With treatment, patients may live with right-heart failure for many years. Because of the risk of pulmonary edema, left-heart failure is more life threatening.
How is it diagnosed?
Doctors can usually make a diagnosis of congestive heart failure based upon a physical exam and the symptoms alone. During the physical exam, the doctor will check for a weak or rapid pulse rate, enlargement of the heart, swollen neck veins, swelling of the liver, fluid retention, sounds of fluid in the lungs, and abnormal heart sounds. To confirm the diagnosis, he or she may perform a number of tests, including chest x-rays, blood tests, 12-lead electrocardiograms (EKGs), urinalysis, and exercise stress tests. Tests such as electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, and angiography create images of the heart's activity and are also helpful in the diagnosis.
What is the treatment?
If there is a underlying cause of congestive heart failure, it is corrected. For example, infections can be treated with antibiotics, surgery can correct malfunctioning heart valves and remove blockages from coronary arteries, and drugs can correct problems with the thyroid gland and control high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. There are also contributing factors that can be corrected, including diet and lifestyle changes such as reducing salt and fat intake, controlling weight, eliminating cigarette smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption. Next, your doctor will try to improve the flow of blood and oxygen through your body. There are many drugs that are prescribed for this purpose. For example, digitalis drugs slow the heart rate and improve its pumping ability. Vasodilators are drugs that dilate the blood vessels. A class of vasodilators called ACE inhibitors is used to treat high blood pressure. These drugs reduce the force required to move blood through the body by lowering blood pressure, which reduces the heart's workload and prolongs the patient's life. Patients who cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors are prescribed angiotensin II receptor blockers, which affect the blood vessels in the same way as ACE inhibitors.
Patients who experience swelling in the feet, ankles, legs, and abdomen are given drugs called diuretics. Diuretics stimulate the kidneys to increase urine production and remove sodium and water from the body. Reducing fluid retention also helps relieve shortness of breath. However, patients taking diuretics may also need to take a potassium supplement because the body loses large amounts of that mineral due to frequent urination. A diuretic called spironolactone has been shown to have the added benefit of preserving the body's potassium levels. Patients with severe heart failure and lowered kidney function may need to be hospitalized and given diuretics intravenously until their condition is stable. Patients with pulmonary edema are hospitalized and given high concentrations of oxygen through a face mask or a tube inserted through the windpipe (trachea). A number of medications, including diuretics and vasodilators, can help remove fluids from the lungs and improve heart function. Morphine may also be given to help reduce the anxiety caused by breathing difficulties associated with pulmonary edema.
For long-term care, doctors recommend alternating periods of rest with gentle exercise, such as walking. Cardiac rehabilitation programs can provide medically supervised exercise programs for people with congestive heart failure. Heart transplants are only considered for patients with severe congestive heart failure. A procedure called an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) can be used as a short-term treatment for patients who need a heart transplant. An IABP consists of a balloon attached to the end of a long, thin tube called a catheter. The catheter is inserted is through an artery in the groin where it is guided to the heart's aorta. A bedside pump, attached to the catheter, inflates the balloon immediately after the heart contracts. The inflated balloon blocks the aorta and forces some blood into the coronary arteries. Right before the heart beats again, the balloon deflates. This creates a vacuum in the arteries that makes it easier for the heart to push oxygen-rich blood out to the body. An IABP can be used for only a few days, and the patient must remain in the hospital, lying flat. Patients with weakened left ventricles can be helped by a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). This device is a small pump that is implanted in the upper part of the abdomen. A tube leading from the left ventricle pulls blood into the pump, which then forces the blood into the aorta. A second tube protrudes outside of the body, through the abdominal wall, and is attached a pump control system. The LVAD takes over the work of the left ventricle by letting blood flow bypass it altogether. Like the IABP, the LVAD can extend the life of patients with severe congestive heart failure. The LVAD, however, shows promise as a longer-term treatment device.
Recent advancements in surgical treatments include cardiac transplantation, artificial ventricular assist devices, and pacemakers. These options for treatment would require an evaluation from a heart failure specialist.
Recent Advances in Surgical Treatment
Surgical treatment now includes:
cardiac transplantation
artificial ventricular assist devices
pacemakers

Self-care tips
You can help prevent congestive heart failure by following a low-salt, low-fat diet. People who have congestive heart failure should avoid processed foods and high-sodium foods such as chips, chocolate, bacon, ham, and canned soups and canned vegetables. While no one should consume large amounts of alcohol, people taking diuretics or with fluid retention problems may need to restrict any type of fluid intake. It's also important to monitor your weight gain by weighing yourself at least every other day. Substantial weight gain, such as more than 3 pounds in 1 week, may mean you are retaining too much fluid and should be reported to your doctor. Follow your doctor's recommendations for rest and exercise, and try to lower known stresses in your life. Make sure you take your medications at the same time each day, and learn to take your blood pressure or have it checked at your doctor's office regularly.

[Ameeratul Layl]

Salam.
Biology theory, fantastic.
JazakAllah for the post akhee.
Wasalam

[salimswati]

Salam.
Biology theory, fantastic.
JazakAllah for the post akhee.
Wasalam

thanks saud
wasala
salim
pakistan

[searchingsoul]

I think my husband will have this. He has angina attacks.