Heart failure is a condition where the heart works less effectively than normal. It occurs when the heart muscles do not pump blood as they should. Heart failure can affect either one side or two sides of the heart. It is important to seek medical help as early as possible to get proper treatment. This can save lives and can even extend the lifetime of the patient.
What are the Signs of Heart Failure?
The symptoms of heart failure range from mild to severe, and it varies from one person to another. Some patients may not experience any symptoms and some may experience mild to severe symptoms such as:
- Congested lungs: Blood in the body flows from left side of the heart into arms, legs, brain, kidneys, liver and intestines, and then after all the organs utilise the oxygen in it, blood goes back into the right side of heart. From there, it reaches the lungs where blood becomes rich in oxygen and flows into left side of the heart. This is a cyclical process. As the heart fails to pump blood out of it into the body effectively, fluid gets backed up in the lungs causing shortness of breath while doing physical activities. If severe, patients can also experience breathlessness while resting or lying on the bed. It can also cause a dry cough.
- As the blood flow to the kidneys gets reduced, fluid gets accumulated in the ankles, feet, and legs.
- Frequent urination at night
- Sudden weight gain
- Loss of appetite and nausea
- Fatigue, dizziness, and weakness
- Forceful heartbeat or palpitations. Your heart beats faster to pump more blood to the body
- Abdominal swelling
If you or your loved ones experience any of the above symptoms, consider visiting a doctor. Dr. Hari Kiran is one of the popular cardiologists in Hyderabad with ten years of experience. He has successfully treated several patients suffering from heart diseases.
What Causes a Heart Failure?
Heart failure is actually caused by any of the heart conditions that reduces the pumping ability of the heart such as coronary artery disease that narrows down the arteries.
There are other conditions that increase the chances of heart failure including:
- Congenital heart disease(birth defects)
- A heart attack that occurs when the coronary artery gets blocked
- Cardiomyopathy that damages the heart muscles
- High blood pressure, thyroid, kidney disease that can make your heart overwork
- Diabetes
- Thyroid
- Anemia
- Chemotherapy used for cancer treatments
Apart from the above-mentioned causes, having several diseases like BP, sugar, overweight can also cause heart failure.
Diagnosis of Heart Failure
Your doctor will ask you several questions to know about your medical history and symptoms. He will try to determine the signs of heart failure by listening to your heart. If the doctor suspects heart failure, he would conduct various tests namely chest X-ray, blood test and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) blood test, echocardiogram or ECG.
Treatment for Heart Failure
The treatment for heart failure is based on the seriousness of the condition. The main aim of treating heart failure is to improve the comfort of working and to increase the lifespan of the patient. If heart failure is at the early stages, it can be treated with medications. These medications are helpful to reduce formation of blood clots, improve heart’s pumping of blood, and reducing cholesterol levels.
Some patients require interventional procedures to treat the condition. Different procedures for heart failure include bypass surgery, angioplasty, pacemakers and heart transplant surgery.
Meet Dr. Hari Kiran for Heart Problems
Dr. Hari Kiran is familiar with different treatment options for heart failure and he has vast knowledge in treating patients with heart failure. He will carefully evaluate your condition and suggest the best treatment for you.
