heart failure?

Answer 1

heart failure can affect many organs of the body. Regardless of the initial cause of CHF, the weakened heart muscle becomes less efficient in pumping the blood circulation. As the heart fails, other organs are affected. Importantly, the kidneys begin to lose their normal ability to excrete salt (sodium) and water. As a result, the kidneys may begin to fail. The lungs may become congested with fluid (pulmonary edema) and the person's ability to exercise is decreased. Fluid may likewise accumulate in the liver, thereby impairing its ability to rid the body of toxins and produce essential proteins. The intestines may become less efficient in absorbing nutrients and medicines. Over time, untreated CHF will affect virtually every organ in the body.The symptoms of CHF vary among individuals according to the particular organ systems involved and depending on the degree to which the rest of the body has "compensated" for the heart muscle weakness. An early symptom of CHF is fatigue. While fatigue is a sensitive indicator of possible underlying CHF, it is obviously a nonspecific symptom that may be caused by many other conditions. The person's ability to exercise may also diminish. Patients may not even sense this decrease and they may subconsciously reduce their activities to accommodate this limitation.

As the body becomes overloaded with fluid from CHF, swelling (edema) of the ankles and legs may be noticed. In addition, fluid may accumulate in the lungs, thereby causing shortness of breath, particularly during exercise and when lying flat. In some instances, patients are awakened at night, gasping for air. Some may be unable to sleep unless sitting upright. The extra fluid in the body may cause increased urination, particularly at night. Accumulation of fluid in the liver and intestines may cause nausea, abdominal pain, and decreased appetite..After CHF is diagnosed, treatment should be started immediately. Perhaps the most important and yet most neglected aspect of treatment involves lifestyle modifications. Sodium causes an increase in fluid accumulation in the body's tissues. Because the body is often congested with excess fluid, patients become very sensitive to the levels of intake of sodium and water. Restricting salt and fluid intake is often recommended because of the tendency of fluid to accumulate in the lungs and surrounding tissues. An American "no added salt" diet can still contain 4 to 6 grams (4000 to 6000 milligrams) of sodium per day. In patients with CHF, an intake of no more than 2 grams (2000 milligrams) of sodium per day is generally advised. Reading food labels and paying close attention to total sodium intake is very important. Likewise, the total amount of fluid consumed must be regulated. Although many patients with CHF take diuretics to aid in the elimination of excess fluid, the action of these medications can be overwhelmed by an excess intake of water and other fluids. The maxim that "drinking 8 glasses of water a day is healthy" does not apply to patients with CHF. In fact, patients with more advanced cases of CHF are advised to limit their total daily fluid intake from all sources to 2 quarts. The above guidelines for sodium and fluid intake may vary depending on the severity of CHF in any given patient.

An important tool for monitoring an appropriate fluid balance is the frequent measurement of body weight. An early sign of fluid accumulation is an increase in body weight. This may occur even before shortness of breath or swelling in the legs and other body tissues (edema) is detected. A weight gain of 2 to 3 pounds over 2 to 3 days should prompt a call to the physician, who may order an increase in the dose of diuretics or other methods designed to stop the early stages of fluid accumulation before it becomes more severe.

Aerobic exercise, once discouraged for CHF patients, has been shown to be beneficial in maintaining overall functional capacity, quality of life, and perhaps even improving survival. Each patient's body has its own unique ability to compensate for the failing heart. Given the same degree of heart muscle weakness, patients may display widely varying degrees of limitation of function. Regular exercise, when tailored to the patient's tolerance level, appears to provide significant benefits.Depending on the underlying cause of CHF, potentially reversible factors should be explored. For example, in certain patients whose CHF is caused by inadequate blood flow to the heart muscle, restoration of the blood flow through coronary artery surgery or catheter procedures (angioplasty, intracoronary stenting) may be considered. CHF that is due to severe valvular disease may be alleviated in appropriate patients by valve surgery. When CHF is caused by chronic, uncontrolled blood pressure (hypertension), aggressive blood pressure control will often improve the condition. Likewise, heart muscle weakness that is due to longstanding, severe alcohol abuse can improve significantly with abstinence from drinking. CHF that is caused by other disease states may be similarly partially or completely reversible by appropriate measures.Until very recently, the selection of medications available for the treatment of CHF was frustratingly limited and focused mainly on controlling the symptoms. Recently, medications have been developed that both improve symptoms, and, importantly, prolong survival.Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors

ACE inhibitors have been used for the treatment of hypertension for more than 20 years. This class of drugs has also been extensively studied in the treatment of CHF. These medications block the formation of angiotensin II, a hormone with many potentially adverse effects on the heart and circulation in patients with heart failure. In multiple studies of thousands of patients, these drugs have demonstrated a remarkable improvement of symptoms in patients, prevention of clinical deterioration, and prolongation of survival. In addition, they have been recently been shown to prevent the development of heart failure and heart attacks. The wealth of the evidence supporting the use of these agents in heart failure is so strong that ACE inhibitors are at least considered in all patients with heart failure, especially those with heart muscle weakness. Possible side effects of these drugs include a nagging, dry cough, low blood pressure, worsening kidney function and electrolyte imbalances, and rarely, true allergic reactions. When used carefully with proper monitoring, however, the majority of CHF patients tolerate these medications without significant problems. Examples of ACE inhibitors include captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Zestril, Prinivil), benazepril (Lotensin), and ramipril (Altace).

For those patients who are unable to tolerate the ACE inhibitors, an alternative group of drugs, called the angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), may be used. These drugs act on the same hormonal pathway as the ACE inhibitors, but instead block the action of angiotensin II at its receptor site directly. A small, early study of one of these agents suggested a greater survival benefit in elderly CHF patients as compared to an ACE inhibitor. However, a larger, follow-up study failed to demonstrate the superiority of the ARBs over the ACE inhibitors. Further studies are underway to explore the use of these agents in CHF both alone and in combination with the ACE inhibitors. Possible side effects of these drugs are similar to those associated with the ACE inhibitors, although the dry cough is much less common. Examples of this class of medications include losartan (Cozaar), candesartan (Atacand), telmisartan (Micardis), valsartan (Diovan), and irbesartan (Avapro).

Beta-blockers

Certain hormones, such as epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine, and other similar hormones, act on the beta receptor's of various body tissues and produce a stimulative effect. The effect of these hormones on the beta receptors of the heart is a more forceful contraction of the heart muscle. Beta-blockers are agents that block the action of these stimulating hormones on the beta receptors of the body's tissues. Since it was assumed that blocking the beta receptors further depressed the function of the heart, beta-blockers have traditionally not been used in patients with CHF. In CHF, however, the stimulating effect of these hormones, while initially useful in maintaining heart function, appears to have detrimental effects on the heart muscle over time. Recent studies have demonstrated an impressive clinical benefit of beta-blockers in improving heart function and survival in CHF patients who are already taking ACE inhibitors.

It appears that the key to success in using beta-blockers in CHF is to start with a low dose and increase the dose very slowly. At first, patients may even feel a little worse and other medications may need to be adjusted. Possible side effects include fluid retention, low blood pressure, low pulse, and general fatigue. Beta-blockers can also generally not be used in people with certain significant diseases of the airways (e.g., asthma, emphysema) or very low resting heart rates. While carvedilol (Coreg) has been the most thoroughly studied drug in the setting of CHF (and remains the only beta-blocker with FDA approval for the treatment of CHF), studies of other beta-blockers have also been promising. Research comparing carvedilol directly with other beta-blockers in the treatment of CHF is ongoing.
Digoxin (Lanoxin) has been used in the treatment of CHF for hundreds of years! It is naturally produced by the Foxglove flowering plant. Digoxin stimulates the heart muscle to contract more forcefully. It also has other actions, which are incompletely understood, that improve CHF symptoms and can prevent further heart failure. However, a recent large-scale randomized study failed to demonstrate any effect of digoxin on mortality. It is useful for many patients with significant CHF symptoms, even though long term survival may not be affected. Potential side effects include nausea, vomiting, heart rhythm disturbances, kidney dysfunction, and electrolyte abnormalities. These side effects, however, are generally a result of toxic levels in the blood and can be monitored by blood tests. The dose of digoxin may also need to be adjusted in patients with significant kidney impairment.
Diuretics are often an important component of the treatment of CHF to prevent or alleviate the symptoms of fluid retention. By promoting the flow of fluid through the kidneys, these drugs help keep fluid from building up in the lungs and other tissues. Although they are effective in relieving symptoms such as shortness of breath and leg swelling, they have not been demonstrated to positively impact long term survival. Nevertheless, diuretics remain key in preventing deterioration of the patient's condition thereby requiring hospitalization. When hospitalization is required, diuretics are often administered intravenously because the ability to absorb oral diuretics may be impaired. Potential side effects of diuretics include dehydration, electrolyte abnormalities, particularly low potassium levels, hearing disturbances, and low blood pressure. It is important to prevent low potassium levels by taking supplements, when appropriate. Such electrolyte disturbances may make patients susceptible to serious heart rhythm disturbances. Examples of various classes of diuretics include furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide, bumetanide (Bumex), torsemide (Demadex), and metolazoneCHF is generally a progressive disease with periods of stability punctuated by episodic clinical exacerbations. The course of the disease in any given patient, however, is extremely variable. Factors involved in determining the long term outlook (prognosis) for a given patient include the nature of the underlying heart disease, the response to medications, the degree to which other organ systems are involved and the severity of other accompanying conditions, the patient's symptoms and degree of impairment, and other factors that remain poorly understood. With the availability of newer drugs to potentially favorably affect the progression of disease, the prognosis in CHF is generally more favorable than that observed just 10 years ago. In some cases, especially when the heart muscle dysfunction has recently developed, a significant spontaneous improvement is not uncommonly observed, even to the point where heart function becomes normal.

An important issue in CHF is the risk of heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias). Of those deaths that occur in patients with CHF, approximately 50% are related to progressive heart failure. Importantly, the other half are thought to be related to serious arrhythmias. However, it remains unclear how to best identify those CHF patients who are at the greatest risk for arrhythmias and how best to prevent or treat them. Current clinical trials of certain antiarrhythmic drugs and implantable defibrillators have been designed to examine these issues
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart's function as a pump is inadequate to meet the body's needs.
Many disease processes can impair the pumping efficiency of the heart to cause CHF.
The symptoms of CHF vary, but can include fatigue, diminished exercise capacity, shortness of breath, and swelling.
The diagnosis of CHF is based on knowledge of the patient's medical history, a careful physical examination, and selected laboratory tests.
The treatment of CHF can include lifestyle modifications, addressing potentially reversible factors, medications, heart transplant, and mechanical therapies.
The course of CHF in any given patient is extremely variable.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Congestive Heart Failure is a disease in which the heart muscle weakens and as a result hinders the ability of the heart to efficiently pump blood. In some cases, this weakening can be caused as a result of a heart attack, but in many cases the coronary arteries are normal.
More Info
http://www.eastherb.com/Heart-Health/heart_health_s.html

Answer 4

Google or search "heart attack". You'll see many medical websites that list symptons of a haeart attack and other conditions. Or you can read the question below from the lady asking about chest pain and arm pain. I described symptoms and immediate actions. If thats not what you're looking for you should pose another question with details.

Answer 5

heart failure is when the heart loses its systolic function, the power to eject the blood. this is due to various reasons. most of the times is because a valve stenosis o insufficiency, that cause the heart to dilate or get hypertrophied, the last one leads to diastolic dysfunction that later on leads to systolic failure. it can also be due to hypoxia, thyrotoxicosis, anemia, etc.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

2

Answer 8

what about it hun? add some details.

Answer 9

what would you like to know? hope it doesn't happen.

Answer 10

what about it details..........