Heart is among the many vital organs in a human body. It is a marvel that the heart never stops functioning throughout a person’s life as it pumps blood through the 100 000 kilometres of blood vessels. It is important to take care of heart health so that the heart can function efficiently for a lifetime. Although the reality of living in the modern world has made heart failure seem like a common disease among the elderly, It is worth noting that heart failure is certainly not a normal consequence of the ageing process.
Heart failure is a condition of the impaired heart or heart structures that makes the heart unable to pump blood as demanded by the body. It is estimated that there are 63.4 million cases of heart failure in the world. Heart failure is so much more than just a heart that is unable to work properly. It is the reason behind disability and even death. The risk for heart failure in male doubles with each 10 year-age increase after the age of 65 whereas in women it is tripled.
The most common cause and potentially the main one is coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is a disease caused by the plaque build-up made of cholesterol deposits in the wall of the arteries that affect the blood supply to the heart. Other causes of CHF include cardiomyopathy, inflammation of the heart muscle such as endocarditis, congenital heart defects, abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) and heart valve diseases. Conditions that overwork the heart such as those with high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, obesity and bad lifestyles such as alcohol, drugs and emotional distress.
There are two types of heart failure. The first one is systolic heart failure that occurs when the heart muscle is not able to contract with enough force to pump blood in the blood circulation system. The second one is diastolic heart failure that occurs when the heart contracts normally but the ventricles of the heart are not properly relaxed or have become stiff. This makes less blood able to enter the heart during the normal blood filling phase in between heartbeats. To determine if heart failure is systolic or diastolic dysfunction. Echocardiogram test will be done to evaluate the heart pump function.
Heart failure symptoms can range from mild to severe. It can be constant or come and go. Symptoms depend on which side of the heart is affected. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue even after taking rest, swelling of the lower legs or abdomen, temporary rapid weight gain, difficulty to sleep when lying flat, swelling in the veins of the neck, persistent coughing and nausea. Some even urinate more than usual and have chest pain when it is caused by heart attack. Symptoms may also include kidney or liver damage and malnutrition.
The heart chambers initially respond to blood flow by stretching to hold more blood or become thickened to the extent of stiffness. Temporarily, this does help to keep the blood flow smoothly but as time goes by, it leads to the heart muscle weakening and ultimately unable to pump efficiently. Kidney will then respond to this condition by retaining the fluid and salt. This then led to fluid build-up in the many organs, commonly visible in legs, feet and lungs, to become congested. This explains what happens when heart failure is not treated properly.
When a diagnosis of heart failure has been made, medical treatment is planned by healthcare professionals. There is no cure for heart failure but treatments available do help to alleviate symptoms. The types of medication used in heart failure treatment are diuretics (e.g., thiazide), beta-blockers (e.g., bisoprolol) and calcium channel blockers (e.g., amlodipine) and antiarrhythmic agents (e.g., digoxin). In some patients, antidiabetic drugs are given in patients with already existing diabetes to reduce the chances of heart failure complications. In severe cases, heart surgery is recommended such as placing a pacemaker or mechanical heart pump. Heart transplant is typically the last treatment to be given to a patient. Healthcare providers may suggest cardiac rehabilitation programs especially those who survived from heart attack or went for heart procedures before. This program helps to improve functional heart capacity to perform daily activities, to help improve factors associated with heart diseases and to provide knowledge so that patients know how to manage their condition such as managing medication and what to do when symptoms get worse.
It can be concluded that heart failure needs to be treated with the right medical plan. Echocardiogram is the ultimate test used in diagnosing heart failure. Heart failure is not a normal aftermath of being the elderly but rather a result of long-standing heart diseases or hypertension. The best management for heart failure is cardiac rehabilitation program, but it is necessary to understand that treatment will always depend on the severity and type of heart failure. Talk to a healthcare professional if you have risk factors and symptoms of heart failure.
