has anyone had or know anyone that has had congestive heart failure??

Question

i have a friend diagnosed with this and i would love advice on how dangerous this is and what can i do to help. he is only 33. ive searched the net but would love to hear from people with personal experience with this condition.

he is still in intensive care in the usa and im in australia. i dont know much else.ty for your reply

Answer 1

Congestive heart failure (AKA CHF) is a very treatable disease. I have had both professional and personal experience with others that have had it.

Most likely your friend's CHF is blood pressure related; he might have been predisposed to it by heredity/genetics, been "born" with it (or congenital in nature) or he might have been a product of his environment and caused it on his own (unknowingly). Whatever the origin is, it is essential to have the ventricles of the heart to stop working so hard. Blood pressure, especially the lower number (diastyolic rate) inflames and stretches the ventricles and eventually the ventricles start to malfunction and the heart becomes out of rythym, irregular and inefficient. All the fluids, including blood, start to back up. Some people will have swelling of the ankles, abdomen and hands.

Although the aforementioned sounds bad, it CAN be treated. Doctors often prescribe diuretics to rid the body of excess water, blood pressure medicine to lower the blood pressure and blood thinners to avoid thickening and clotting of the blood. If the patient follows the doctors instructions to the T, this could possibly be a temporary condition. It can be reversable.

I wish your friend good luck in his treatment.

Answer 2

My friend was diagnosed in 2000 with CHF, and by 2004 was a candidate for a heart transplant at age 54. After a 2 year wait, a donor heart came available, and he is now a successful organ recipient. The struggles of diet (conflicting diabetes) and a desire to exercise to maintain the new heart remain a problem for him, but he is much much improved and can breathe again without pain, and can walk, not only TO the mailbox, but a mile around the neighborhood!!! It is a lifelong condition once one develops it, and will require attention and care for the long haul. Good Luck!

Answer 3

I take care of a pediatric patient, sweet little girl. She has an array of problems, one being, CHF (congestive heart failure). It's very dangerous. You can search the web and get answers on it's physiology. I can tell you from caring for this child that she is pretty much always in distress. She takes a slew of cardiac medications. She has a lot of edema (swelling) in her arms and legs and her lungs are congested. We have to suction her all the time because the secretions are so bad that she can't breathe. Medications that people who have CHF are one usually include lasix (diuretic), digoxin (increases the contractility of the heart)....and a slew of others.

CHF is usually secondary....usually there is a primary cause...like a heart defect, hypertention, pulmonary hypertention, liver or kidney disease....all of these can cause CHF.

CHF can be managed and people can live with it. However, depending on how bad it is, it can also be fatal.

Answer 4

I am only 31 and I was diagnosed with Heart Failure 8 months ago. I am now on a strict sodium and fluid restriction diet. I was a very active person, I rode bike, went snowboarding, hiking, played with my 8 yr old son...etc... Now.. since I am still recovering... I have to becarefull of what kind of activities I do...I can do them but not as intense as I use to. My doctor says that I should be back to normal in the next yr. But I will alway have to watch my sodium and fluid intake... and will be on medicine for the rest of my like.

If you have any other questions or what to chat you can email me or messge me at [e-mail].

I would like to hear more about your friend too.

Thanks.
Good luck.

Answer 5

I have not only had CHF but I am also an Intensive Care Nurse. CHF is a very serious condition but with proper treatment a person can live many years with it. This means following a special diet and taking prescription medicines. What medicine is your friend taking?

Answer 6

My sister develped it 4 days after having your child, she was 25 years old when it happened. She didn't know what was going on, and niether the doctors because of her age they didn't really look for CHF, she almost die if we didn't have a great cardiologist working on her case!!
Congestive heart failure (CHF), or heart failure, is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to the body's other organs. This can result from
narrowed arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle — coronary artery disease.
past heart attack, or myocardial infarction, with scar tissue that interferes with the heart muscle's normal work.
high blood pressure.
heart valve disease due to past rheumatic fever or other causes.
primary disease of the heart muscle itself, called cardiomyopathy.
heart defects present at birth — congenital heart defects.
infection of the heart valves and/or heart muscle itself — endocarditis and/or myocarditis.
The "failing" heart keeps working but not as efficiently as it should. People with heart failure can't exert themselves because they become short of breath and tired.

As blood flow out of the heart slows, blood returning to the heart through the veins backs up, causing congestion in the tissues. Often swelling (edema) results. Most often there's swelling in the legs and ankles, but it can happen in other parts of the body, too. Sometimes fluid collects in the lungs and interferes with breathing, causing shortness of breath, especially when a person is lying down.

Heart failure also affects the kidneys' ability to dispose of sodium and water. The retained water increases the edema.

Hope I helped!

Answer 7

Hi, my name is shelley. My mother was 52 and went in her sleep from this. She was severly overweight all her life, she used to say I was born fat. Her passing was 4 months before my wedding,she didn't tell anyone she was sick. We look back at all the signs,we as loved ones did not see. Tell your friend this is not a death sentence, he should start to loss weight if he is not in his weight class. this is also genetic my father has it now to he is 72. It h it's any age and verys in different people. If you would like to talk some more about your friend my e-mail is [e-mail]. Life is hard most of the time I'm 38 and I'm just now trying to figure it out. Take the soft moments of life ond store them in your heart, and racall them often. Live much, Laugh often and Dance like know one's watching. May the Sun shine on you today and your friend. Shelley

Answer 8

I have treated many patients with CHF, it indicates a badly damaged heart from whatever cause. It can be controlled by digitalis products and diuretics, but the prognosis for a man his age in CHF is not good for a long life.

Answer 9

I am so sorry to listen to approximately your puppy. In September 2006 I had a Dobie identified with Cardiomyopathy (CHF). She used to be visible by means of our vet & a heart specialist. Had an EKG performed and she or he additionally wore the Holter Monitor for twenty-four hours. She used to be placed on meds and used to be doing great until May 2007. For over a month her situation progressively went down hill, little or no force to even maintain herself as much as stroll, and far quandary respiring. On June 6 as unhealthy as I hated it I made the decission to allow her pass tomorrow. It broke my middle to unfastened her, however I knew she fought her high-quality and used to be getting very worn out so we made our final commute to the vet . I can say no less than I had the ones additional nine months along with her after she used to be identified.

Answer 10

I am 34 and was diagnosed with it almost 2 years ago. It scared me to death, but ive been able to somewhat climb on top of it now. The doctors implanted a pacemaker/defirillator, and have loaded me up on drugs, but My heart is nearing normal. He can come back to normal or close to it depending on how far down its gotten. Tell him to heed the doctors warnings, and do what they tell him. He will be fine!!! Tell him good luck!!!