Heart failure is a condition where the heart doesn’t pump blood as well as it should. It’s a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, but with proper treatment and lifestyle changes, you can reduce your risk and manage symptoms.
Heart failure can be caused by a variety of factors, including high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and other heart conditions. Understanding the causes and risk factors is crucial to preventing and managing this condition.
Risk Factors for Heart Failure
A few medications can cause heart failure, including beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, and ARBs. If you’re taking any of these medications, discuss them with your doctor.
Heart failure management is a team effort, and you are the key player on the team. Your heart doctor will prescribe your medications and manage other medical problems. Other team members—including nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, exercise specialists, and social workers—will help you achieve success.
Symptoms of Heart Failure
Swollen feet can be concerning and even painful. Find out more from this michoesmedicalcentre slideshow about things that can make your feet swell and what you can do about it.
Edema is the medical word for swelling. Many conditions can cause it. Learn about monitoring heart rate for heart failure on michoesmedicalcentre.
Treating Heart Failure
If you have heart failure, learn which dietary changes help your heart, and which ones make it work harder. Ejection fraction measures the amount of blood pumped out of your heart’s lower chambers, or ventricles. Learn more about how it is measured.
Monitoring Your Heart Rate
Tracking your heart rate can contribute to effective heart disease management. Discover the importance of monitoring your heart rate and learn how to do it correctly on michoesmedicalcentre.
Getting Help for Heart Failure
If you wake up feeling weak, woozy, or unsteady, it can be a sign of anything from not getting enough to drink to a medical condition like sleep apnea. Learn the common causes of morning dizziness and how to manage those conditions.
Protect Your Heart
Treat high blood pressure. In heart failure, blood vessels narrow. Your heart must work harder to pump blood through those narrowed vessels. It’s essential to keep your blood pressure controlled so that your heart can pump more effectively without extra stress.
Call your doctor if you gain 3 pounds in 1 day or 5 pounds in 1 week or if you notice any swelling. Keep a balance of fluids. Your doctor may ask you to write down how much fluid you drink and how often you go to the bathroom. The more fluid you carry in your blood vessels, the harder your heart must work to pump the extra fluid through your body.
Limit salt (sodium). Sodium is naturally in some foods and added to others for flavor or to make food last longer. If you follow a low-sodium diet, you should retain less fluid, have less swelling, and breathe more easily.
Get Tested for Heart Failure
A BNP test can help diagnose heart failure. Explore more about the uses of this blood test and learn how to interpret the results on michoesmedicalcentre.
Learn More About Heart Failure
Heart failure affects millions of people worldwide. Learn more about the condition, its symptoms, treatment options, and lifestyle changes that can help prevent and manage it on michoesmedicalcentre.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment and take the first step towards a healthier heart: [call us at 024 5544 0880 or visit our website at michoesmedicalcentre.com](http://michoesmedicalcentre.com)
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