Heart failure is a pathologicala condition where the heart can not contract with such force to pump blood in the volume necessary for tissues and organs. Symptoms of heart failure may appear acute or develop for a long time. At the same time, the condition of a person is gradually deteriorating.
It is chronic (congestive) heart failure that occurs in 5% of older people, and, more often in women.
Causes of heart failure
To combat heart failure, you need not only to find out whether there has been a violation of the heart, but also to find the cause that could become a trigger mechanism in the development of this disease.
The direct cause of the cardiacinsufficiency may be pulmonary embolism, thyrotoxicosis in pregnant women, anemia, infective endocarditis, stress (physical, dietary or emotional), hypertension and myocardial infarction.
However, if the heart itself is healthy, then all of these"Catastrophes" will not lead to circulatory failure, whereas pathologies (aortic stenosis, cardiomyopathy, valvular defects, ischemic heart disease) lead to the fact that signs of heart failure develop rapidly and severely.
Symptoms of heart failure
The earliest sign may be dyspnea with heart failure.At the beginning of the disease, it appears only after physical exertion, but with the progression of the disease it becomes difficult to breathe and at rest. A healthy person also has shortness of breath, but a more intense load is required for it than with heart failure. In severe cases, there is nocturnal (paroxysmal) dyspnea due to stagnant phenomena in the lungs.
Gradually begin to appear edema. First, the legs suffer, then the stomach, and in case of severe insufficiency, the face.
Fatigue and weakness due to poor blood supply to the muscles, andsuch mental disorders as headache, decreased memory and attention, insomnia and anxiety appear as a result of poor blood supply to the brain.
A person with chronic heart failure feels better in an upright position (orthopnea). This is due to the outflow of blood from the lungs to the lower extremities. Many patients even have to sleep sitting.
When the liver overflows, the liver appears pain in the right hypochondrium. From the lack of blood circulation, limbs suffer, which is manifested pallor or bluish skin hands, feet, and sometimes lips.
Diagnosis of heart failure
Diagnosis of the disease can be even before,as there were signs of heart failure. For this, a person must necessarily consult a doctor with the first symptoms associated with heart disease (pressure jumps, chest pain, swelling).
The doctor should conduct a series of studies and determine the degree of development of circulatory failure, identify complications (if any) and prescribe adequate treatment.
Symptoms of heart failure can bedetect when examining, examining and auscultating the heart and lungs. Additional methods include electrocardiography, echocardiography, chest x-ray, and blood and urine tests.
Treatment of heart failure
If there is a lack of blood circulation, you must follow a diet with a limited content of table salt and exercise (but not athletic).
The medicines needed for this disease include:
- diuretic preparations;
- cardiac glycosides;
beta-blockers;
- ACE inhibitors;
- Nitrates.
Any medicine can be taken only after consulting a cardiologist.
Drug therapy is aimed at slowing the progression of the disease and improving the quality of life of the patient, so it must be carried out for a long time (sometimes for life).
