What Is Heart
Failure?
Heart failure is a
condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs.
In some cases, the heart can't fill with enough blood. In other cases, the
heart can't pump blood to the rest of the body with enough force. Some people
have both problems.
The term
"heart failure" doesn't mean that your heart has stopped or is about
to stop working. However, heart failure is a serious condition that requires
medical care.
Other Names for Heart
Failure
- Congestive heart failure.
- Left-side heart failure. This is when the heart can't pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body.
- Right-side heart failure. This is when the heart can't fill with enough blood.
- Cor pulmonale. This term refers to right-side heart failure caused by high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries and right ventricle (lower right heart chamber).
Understanding Heart Failure
Heart
failure develops over time as the heart's pumping action grows weaker. The
condition can affect the right side of the heart only, or it can affect both
sides of the heart. Most cases involve both sides of the heart.
Right-side
heart failure occurs if the heart can't pump enough blood to the lungs to pick
up oxygen. Left-side heart failure occurs if the heart can't pump enough
oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body.
Right-side
heart failure may cause fluid to build up in the feet, ankles, legs, liver,
abdomen, and the veins in the neck. Right-side and left-side heart failure also
may cause shortness of breath and fatigue (tiredness).
The
leading causes of heart failure are diseases that damage the heart. Examples
include coronary heart disease (CHD), high
blood pressure, and diabetes.
Heart
failure is a very common condition. Both children and adults can have the
condition, although the symptoms and treatments differ. The Health
Topic focuses on heart failure in adults.
Currently,
heart failure has no cure. However, it can be prevented via lifestyle changes.
This can help people who have the condition live longer and more active lives.
Researchers continue to study new ways to treat heart failure and its
complications.
What
Causes Heart Failure?
Conditions that damage or
overwork the heart muscle can cause heart failure. Over time, the heart
weakens. It isn’t able to fill with and/or pump blood as well as it should. As
the heart weakens, certain proteins and substances might be released into the
blood. These substances have a toxic effect on the heart and blood flow, and
they worsen heart failure.
Causes of
heart failure include:
- Coronary heart disease
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Other heart conditions or diseases
- Other factors
Coronary
heart disease is a condition in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up
inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your
heart muscle.
Plaque
narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow to your heart muscle. The buildup
of plaque also makes it more likely that blood clots will form in your
arteries. Blood clots can partially or completely block blood flow. Coronary
heart disease can lead to chest pain or discomfort called angina, a heart attack, and heart
damage.
Diabetes
is a disease in which the body’s blood glucose (sugar) level is too high. The
body normally breaks down food into glucose and then carries it to cells
throughout the body. The cells use a hormone called insulin to turn the glucose
into energy.
In diabetes,
the body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use its insulin properly. Over
time, high blood sugar levels can damage and weaken the heart muscle and the
blood vessels around the heart, leading to heart failure.
Blood
pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. If
this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can weaken your heart and lead
to plaque buildup.
Blood
pressure is considered high if it stays at or above 140/90 mmHg over time. (The
mmHg is millimeters of mercury—the units used to measure blood pressure.) If
you have diabetes or chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure is defined as
130/80 mmHg or higher.
Other
conditions and diseases also can lead to heart failure, such as:
- Arrhythmia. Happens when a problem occurs with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat.
- Cardiomyopathy. Happens when the heart muscle becomes enlarged, thick, or rigid.
- Congenital heart defects. Problems with the heart’s structure are present at birth.
- Heart valve disease. Occurs if one or more of your heart valves doesn’t work properly, which can be present at birth or caused by infection, other heart conditions, and age.
Other
factors also can injure the heart muscle and lead to heart failure. Examples
include:
- Alcohol abuse or cocaine and other illegal drug use
- HIV/AIDS
- Thyroid disorders (having either too much or too little thyroid hormone in the body)
- Too much vitamin E
- Treatments for cancer, such as radiation and chemotherapy
How to Prevent & Manage Heart FAILURE
Prevention
and Management of heart Failure start with engaging in heart-healthy
lifestyle changes.
Heart-healthy
lifestyle changes include:
- Heart-healthy
eating
- Maintaining
a healthy weight
- Managing
stress
- Physical
activity
There is a product
and program designed just for this – to help you reset your health and weight
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CLEAN 9 contain a unique nine day dietary
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- Helping
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- Lowering
the risk of blood clots forming (blood clots can cause a heart attack)
- Preventing
complications of coronary heart disease
- Reducing
risk factors in an effort to slow, stop, or reverse the buildup of plaque
- Relieving
symptoms
- Helping
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