Heart Failure – I

Heart failure is a condition where the heart is not able to pump efficiently the blood in the body and is a very serious condition. It certainly does not mean that the heart has failed. It can affect the right side of the heart or the left side of the heart or can even affect both the sides.
Heart failure symptoms are severe, but treatment is possible which will help in controlling the effects of heart failure conditions and helping in living a normal life. Conditions causing heart failure include heart attack and high blood pressure. It is normally more prevalent in persons of 65 years and above and men are more prone as compared to women.
HEART FAILURE SYMPTOMS
In heart failure there is lack of blood supply to the muscles from the heart as a result there is a feeling of extreme tiredness which is also one of the major symptom of heart failure. Other symptoms of heart failure depend on which side the heart has got affected and are as follows:-
LEFT SIDE HEART FAILURE
If the left side of the heart fails, it can lead to breathlessness further leading to frothy spit or a cough, which can happen at any point of time, but generally happens when one is lying in bed or when one is active. One may also feel at night the need to suddenly sit up when one is asleep or lying in bed or the need for getting fresh air.
RIGHT SIDE HEART FAILURE
When there is a failure of the right side of the heart, it will lead to build up of excess fluid in the legs, leading to swelling in the legs and ankles, which is also one of the main symptoms of right side heart failure. Similarly the excess fluid can also lead to enlargement of the stomach and liver.
OTHER SYMPTOMS OF EITHER/BOTH SIDES HEART FAILURE
Other symptoms include nausea (feeling sick), dizziness, loss of appetite and constipation.
REASONS OF HEAR FAILURE
Though in some cases the cause of heart failure is not known however the conditions that can cause heart failure are coronary heart disease, when heart disease is inherited like cardiomyopathy, hypertension or high blood pressure, valve abnormality or heart rhythm, anaemia and when thyroid gland becomes overactive
There is also a possibility that left side heart failure may lead to right side heart failure.
HEART FAILURE DIAGNOSES
Diagnoses of heart failure is done by conducting a number of tests which include the following :-
Urine and blood test for checking of liver function and blood count
X-ray of the chest for checking of presence of any fluid in the lungs or any enlargement of the heart.
Conducting and ECG (electrocardiogram), in this test the rhythms and electrical activity of the heart is recorded
Echocardiogram test, it is done by ultrasound scan to find and check out any signs of damage to the pumping activity of the heart.