I am scared! I was told I have heart failure!
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PrintThe words, heart “failure” can be very overwhelming for someone to hear and understand. I have received some questions about what heart failure is, so I would like to further define this condition for you.
The American Heart Association definition of 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
Watch this video from the Heart Failure Society of America. Click on this link: www.abouthf.org/questions_video.htm and then click to view the patient education video.
How does heart failure feel?
Symptoms range from very mild (rarely interfere with normal activities) to quite severe (which limits the person in every activity of daily living). Signs of heart failure may include the following:
Dry, hacking cough
Sudden weight gain
Shortness of breath (at rest or with activity)
Swelling in ankles, legs or belly
Less frequent urination
Fatigue
Confusion or trouble concentrating
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Difficulty sleeping (related to trouble breathing)
Look for the next posting to talk about tips for living with heart failure.
Also see these additional references:
www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4585
www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-failure/ds00061
www.cme.medscape.com/viewarticle/416463
