Complications of CHF:

Through the Mayo clinic as a reference regarding complications their website stated: “If you have heart failure, your outlook depends on the cause and the severity, your overall health, and other factors such as your age. Complications can include:

Kidney damage or failure.

Heart failure can reduce the blood flow to your kidneys, which can eventually cause kidney failure if left untreated. Kidney damage from heart failure can require dialysis for treatment.

Heart valve problems.

The valves of your heart, which keep blood flowing in the proper direction through your heart, may not function properly if your heart is enlarged, or if the pressure in your heart is very high due to heart failure.

Liver damage.

Heart failure can lead to a buildup of fluid that puts too much pressure on the liver. This fluid backup can lead to scarring, which makes it more difficult for your liver to function properly.

Stroke.

Because blood flow through the heart is slower in heart failure than in a normal heart, it’s more likely you’ll develop blood clots, which can increase your risk of having a stroke.

Some people’s symptoms and heart function will improve with proper treatment. However, heart failure can be life-threatening. People with heart failure may have severe symptoms, and some may require heart transplantation or support with an artificial heart device.”

Tips on CHF:

See your doctor regularly in evaluating your CHF.

Closely follow your doctor’s instructions, being compliant with the instructions and taking your meds.

Immediately call your doctor of any significant change in your condition, such as an intensified shortness of breath or swollen feet or weight gain of 3lbs or more within one week.

Control your weight in making it easier for your heart, that’s in failure, to function better (less stress).

Watch what you eat and how much.　 Watch the diet intake of cholesterol and sodium that can cause a negative impact on the heart by causing stress to the organ through either high B/P=high sodium intake that causes vasoconstriction or high cholesterol intake frequently　that commonly causes blockage in an artery.　 Both high sodium　or high cholesterol　cause diminishing of oxygenated blood getting to the heart.　 Without oxygen to our tissues or cells this causes tissue & cellular starvation (ischemia).　 What is starvation to the heart=ischemia to the heart=chest pain (what we call angina).　 Take a brittle diabetic, the furthest area from the heart is the feet the first area to experience starvation is the toes, foot or lower extremity which is why this is usually the first to be amputated if necessary (you usually see an upper extremity amputated due to trauma not disease).

Limit or stop alcohol consumption as your doctor informs you.

Of course, stop smoking permanently if actively smoking.

The best defense against heart failure is PREVENTION!　 Almost all the cardiac risk factors can be controlled　by eliminating the bad unhealthy habits　(smoking, obese, high cholesterol, high B/P, diabetes).

Going to the doctor can be stressful but know he is there for you.　 It is hard to remember everything you want to ask the doctor with everything you hear at your visit.　 It helps to prepare a list of questions you may have and bring it with you at your appointment to address to the concerns you listed to the doctor.　 In doing this it helps you with your appointment so you can record the answers by listing them on the paper you have.　 Before you leave the doctor’s office, be sure you understand your condition, its treatment, including any medications your taking this doctor that he or sheprescribed for you with　that doctor　knowing any other medications you may be on through a different doctor to prevent side effects or adverse reactions occurring but if you forget this about the medications there is always your pharmacist you can ask, than your personal　M.D. later.　 With you knowing all this information you will see why it is so vital for you doing all these actions or interventions for your disease that　your doctor prescribed or ordered and you’re more out to follow them as well with understanding the whole picture about the treatment for CHF.

If you are needing any guidance in how to lose weight through using all 4 food groups, with assistance in what to eat now to lose weight till you are in therapeutic range for your height rather than eating food from the market or if you　need to understand how the body works with food and metabolism with where activity comes into play go to healthyusa.tsfl.com.　 See what we can provide you in answering all these questions for you through Dr. Anderson and myself as your coach free.　 SO LIVE AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE IN YOUR ROUTINE HABITS,　 YOUR DIETING OF THE 4 FOOD GROUPS, MAINTAINING YOUR WEIGHT IN A THEREPEUTIC RANGE (look as calculating BMI online for free to find out what your weight range for your height is), and BALANCING REST WITH EXERCISE TO HELP DECREASE THE CHANCE OF GETTING HEART FAILURE.　 Go to healthyusa.tsfl.com to learn what Dr. Anderson through his book of “Dr. A.’s Healthy Habits” and me (for free) as your health coach could provide you with.　 Just take a view of what can be offered to you for no price with no hacking go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and take a peek;)　 Join me like many who are trying to live life healthier with making America a healthier home and we all should take part to help the health care system to be more effective for our society.　 Recommended to anyone with disease before changing your diet, activity/exercise program review　your changes with your　doctor to get clearance first to maintain your safety.

We can fulfill this goal, the one step America is by getting healthier (through diet, exercise, and living healthier habits) which would impact cardiac disease by decreasing it in time which would decrease congestive heart failure.  Learn more about CHF on striveforgoodhealth.com with learning how to reach this goal.  Let us the people of America take part on decreasing disease and not just leave it the health care or government’s hands.  Look at the results already and we the society need to take be responsible in being better for ourselves, our children and our future generations.

“In addition to relieving patient suffering, research is needed to help reduce the enormous economic and social burdens posed by chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, cancer, heart disease, and stroke.” 

Ike Skelton (born December 20, 1931) is an American politician        who was the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s 4th congressional district from 1977 to 2011)

Treatments for CHF:

Heart failure caused by an excessive workload is curable by treating the primary disease, such as anemia or thyrotoxicosis or hypertension or diabetes.　 Also, curable are forms caused by anatomical problems such as a heart valve defect.　 These defects can be surgically corrected.

However, for the common forms of heart failure due to damaged heart muscle no known cure (like a heart attack that damages the heart muscle where the attack took place on the organ) but prevention of it happening again can take place in many cases through treatment of the disease or illness with being compliant in following up with your doctor for the disease or illness and being compliant in following doctor’s orders.　　 The worst thing you can do is ignore them.　 The treatment seeks to improve patients quality of life and length of survival through lifestyle change and drug therapy.

Patients can minimize the effect of heart failure by controlling the risk factors for heart disease they may have.　 Obvious steps include:　 Don’t smoke or quit smoking, lose weight if necessary, abstaining from alcohol, making those dietary changes to reduce the amount of salt and fat consumed.　　Also,　regular with modest exercise is also helpful for many patients; though the amount and intensity should be carefully monitored by a physician.

Even with lifestyle changes, most heart failure patients must take medication.　 Many patients receive 2 or more meds.　 Types of common medications given are:　 ACE inhibitors, Digitalis, Diuretics, Hydralazine, and Nitrates.

These are some of the meds given for heart failure.　　 Not all medications are suitable for patients, and more than one drug may be needed.　 Always review the list your pharmacist provides in the action, side effects, with instructions of how to take the drug to make it most effective in your body with what to look for while on this medication to keep you the patient most informed on what you should be aware of since your on the medication.　 You should know what your taking.

Results of studies over the years have placed more emphasis on the use of drugs known as angiotensin converting enzymes (ACE) inhibitors.　 Several studies have indicated that ACE inhibitors improve survival among heart failure patients and may slow perhaps even prevent the loss of the heart pumping activity.　 This drug　 prevents the transfer of your enzyme Angiotensin 1 to convert into Angiotensin 2 which prevents the vessels in your body to do vasoconstriction which prevents the pressure in the bloodstream to raise = high B/P (hypertension) but this medication prevents this from happening.　　By the medication doing this it　prevents stress to the heart; with　vasoconstriction in causing the B/P to go high this now　causes the 　blood to get to the heart slowly and more difficult causing the heart to pump harder but the ACE inhibitor with allowing vasodilation (opening of vessels) keeps the　pressure down to make the job easier= less stress on the heart.　 Originally these medications where for patients in the treatment of hypertension but they help patients with heart failure, among other things, decreasing the pressure inside the blood vessels causing the heart to do its job easier.

Digitalis increases the force of the heart’s contractions, helping to improve circulation in the body.

Diuretics are for reducing the amount of fluid in the bloodstream and body by releasing them via the kidneys and having us void the excess of water out in our urine, these are useful for patients with fluid retention.

Those who aren’t prescribed or cannot take these meds already mentioned may be given a hydralazine medication and/or a drug in the Nitrate classification, each of which help relax tension in the blood vessels to improve blood flow.　 Also, both Hydralazine and Nitrates function is they cause vasodilation in the vessels improving blood flow to the heart.

Sometimes heart failure is life threatening.　 Usually, this happens when drug therapy and lifestyle changes fail to control its symptoms.  In such cases, a heart transplant may be the only treatment option. However, candidates for transplantation often have to wait months or even years before a suitable donor heart is found.

Studies over the years indicate that some transplant candidates improve during this waiting period through drug treatment and other therapy, and can be removed from the transplant list.

Transplant candidates who do not improve sometimes need mechanical pumps, which are attached to the heart.　 Called left ventricular assist device (LVADs), the machine takes over part or virtually all of the heart’s blood-pumping activity.　 However, current LVADs are not permanent solutions for heart failure but are considered bridges to transplantation. Worldwide, about 3,500 heart transplants were performed annually. The vast majority of these are performed in the United States (2,000-2,300 annually). Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California has performed the most heart transplants in the last three consecutive years performing 95 transplants in 2012 alone. About 800,000 people have a Class IV heart defect indicating a new organ.　 The degrees of CHF are I, II, III and IV.　 In learning more about CHF with heart transplants (including becoming a candidate for one) go to wwwtransplantexperience.com or even hearttransplant.com.

Another surgical procedure for heart failure that is available in America is cardiomyoplasty.　 This is a surgical procedure in which healthy muscle from another part of the body is wrapped around the heart to provide support for the failing heart. Most often the Latissimus_dorsi_muscle”  is used for this purpose. A special pacemaker is implanted to make the skeletal muscle contract.　 The electrical stimulator icauses the back muscle to contract, pumping the blood from the heart (this allows the heart to do its job more effectively).

“Many tests are used to  diagnose and monitor heart failure.  An echocardiogram (echo) is often the best test for heart failure. Your doctor will use it to guide your treatment.  Other imaging tests can look at how well your heart is able to pump blood, and how much the heart muscle is damaged.”

Medline.com

DIAGNOSIS

In many cases, physicians diagnose heart failure during a simple physical examination.  Readily identifiable signs are shortness of breath, fatigue, and swollen ankles and feet.  The physician also will check for the presence of risk factors, such as hypertension, obesity and a  history of heart problems.

Using a stethoscope, the physician can listen to a patient breathe and identify the sounds of lung congestion.  The stethoscope also picks up the abnormal heart sounds indicative of heart failure.

If one or not both symptoms or the patient’s history point to a clear cut diagnosis, the physician may recommend any of a variety of laboratory tests, including, initially, an electrocardiogram (EKG), which uses recording devices placed on the chest to evaluate the electrical activity of a patient’s heartbeat which will be affected by CHF.

Echocardiography is another means of evaluating heart function from outside the body.  This works through sound waves that bounce off the heart are recorded and translated into images.  The pictures can reveal abnormal heart sizes, shape, and movement.  Echocardiography also can be used to calculate a patient’s ejection fraction which is a measurement of the amount of blood pumped when the heart contracts.

Another possible test is the chest x-ray, which also determines the heart’s size and shape, as well as the presence of congestion in the lungs.

Tests help rule out other possible causes of symptoms.  The symptoms of heart failure can result when the heart is made to work too hard, instead of from damaged muscle (like in a heart attack).  Conditions that overload the heart occur rarely and include severe anemia and thyrotoxicosis (a disease resulting from an overactive thyroid gland).

Prevention of CHF:

-If not diagnosed yet your already possibly ahead.  Without this diagnosis you can get started on making yourself further away from being diagnosed with this disease.  How to reach this goal is through living a routine life through healthy habits practiced, healthy dieting over all, and balancing rest with exercise during the week 30-40 minutes a day or 1 hour to 1.5 hours 3 times a week and not being obese.  They all would benefit the heart in not stressing it out making the heart’s function harder in doing its function.  When the heart stresses out it is at risk for lacking oxygen putting it at potential for angina (heart pain) to a heart attack with over time leading toward failure of the heart.  Need to learn more about what is and how to get your weight in therapeutic body mass index range through dieting of all 4 food groups, balancing exercise/rest, and knowing how the body works with all ingredients in foods including portion sizes (fats, calories, starches, carbohydrates, proteins with vitamins and minerals) to understanding how all this information takes effect in how your metabolism operates in being beneficial or against you?   Well than go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and take a peek at what we offer at such a reasonable price and more of a reachable goal with having Dr. Anderson through access of his book “Dr. A’s healthy habits” with me as your personal coach and if you want foods to eat in helping you lose weight if needed I’m there to help you with any questions you may have and even for support.  To take a peek go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and see what we offer for no price and with no hacking.  Join me and so many others in attempting to reach this goal. So far I have lost 22lbs. and hope to lose more.

Heart disease continues to be the number one killer; cancer, the number 2 killer, not far behind. The tragic aspect of these deadly diseases is that they could all be cured, I do believe, if we had sufficient funding.

Arlen Specter ((February 12, 1930　– October 14, 2012) was a United States Senator from Pennsylvania

A number of symptoms are associated with heart failure, but none is specific for the condition.  Perhaps the best known symptom is short of breath (called dyspnea).  In heart failure, this may result from excess fluid in the lungs.  The breathing difficulties may occur at rest or during exercise.  In some cases, congestion may be severe enough to interrupt or prevent you from sleeping.

-Fatigue or easy tiring is another common symptom.  As the heart’s pumping capacity decreases, muscles and other tissues receive less oxygen and nutrition, which are carried in the blood.  Without proper fuel (oxygen from the blood) provided by our engine (the heart), the body cannot perform as much work as it use to do (just like going from in shape to out of shape in time).  The ending line is this will result into fatigue.

-Fluid accumulation will cause swelling in the feet, ankles, legs, and occasionally the abdomen (if the fluid building up in the body gets severe), what we medically call edema.   Through gravity the blood goes backwards and our body allows water to transfer in the skin to allow the fluid to go somewhere other than the bloodstream to decrease fluid overload to the heart by compensating.  It body compensates since the blood is going backwards from the heart causing fluid back up.  Excess fluid retained by the body will result into weight gain, which sometimes occurs fairly quickly (if you have CHF already you should always call your M.D. if you weight gain is 3lbs or more in a week, odds are high this is due to fluid building up).

-Persistent coughing is another common sign, especially coughing that regularly produces mucus or pink, blood-tinged sputum.  Some people develop raspy breathing or wheezing.

-Heart failure usually goes through a slow development process, the symptoms may not appear until the condition has progressed over the years.  This happens because the heart first compensates by making adjustments with the heart that delay or slow down but do not prevent, the eventual loss in pumping capacity.  In time failure happens, just like a car in when it gets older over several years is starts showing one problem after another and is exchanged for a newer car; same principle with the heart in that you show signs and symptoms as your heart starts to slow down to failure and its either treat the problem or get a transplant of the organ (which is unlikely to happen).   The heart first hides the underlying process but compensates by doing this to your heart:

1- Enlargement to the muscle of the heart (causing “dilatation”) which allows more blood into the heart.

2- Thickening of muscle fibers (causing “hypertrophy”) to strengthen the heart muscle, which allows the heart to contract more forcefully and pump more blood.

3- More frequent contraction, which increases circulation.

By making these adjustments, or compensating, the heart can temporarily make up for losses in pumping ability, sometimes for years.  However, compensation of the organ can only last so long, not forever (like anything in life the living thing or an object will go through a ending life process to termination).  Eventually the heart cannot offset the lost ability to pump blood, and the signs of heart failure appear.

The definition of heart failure, it occurs when the heart loses its ability to pump enough blood through the body.  Usually, the loss in pumping action is a symptom of an underlying heart problem, such as hypertension and CAD = coronary artery disease.  The term heart failure suggests a sudden and complete stop of heart activity but actually the heart does not suddenly or abruptly stop.  Instead the way it works is heart failure usually develops over time, years. The heart first compensates with the disease or illness the individual has but, just like a car, after wear and tear the heart goes into decompensating to heart failure due to the heart decline.  How serious is this condition?  It varies from person to person depending on factors like an individual with obesity & unhealthy versus a person in healthier condition.  All people diagnosed or not diagnosed with heart failure lose a pumping capacity of the heart happens as they age but diagnosed with heart failure makes the engine of the body a challenge in doing its function properly.  The pump loss is more significant in the person with heart failure and often results from a heart attack (actual scaring to the tissue=death to that tissue area) or from other diseases that can damage the heart.  The severity of the condition determines the impact it has on a person’s life.   At the other end, extremes, treatment often helps people lead full lives if the person follows the meds ordered by the doctor including the diet and activity/exercise the doctor orders to the patient with heart failure (compliance so important).  There are different levels of heart failure but even the mildest form is a serious health problem, which must be treated.  If not the pump (the heart) will just get worse in doing its function properly.  To improve the chance of living longer in an individual with heart failure, patients must take care of themselves, see their physician (cardiologist) on a regular basis, and closely follow treatments (as ordered) with knowing what heart failure actually to understanding how the disease works (is the failure on the right side or left side? Which in time will effect the other side in time).  In knowing what side the failure is on will make you understand what signs and symptoms to expect.

Baby boomers should do the following with diet and exercise:

Get Screened

Get screened including flu vaccine, pneumonia vaccine, colorectal cancer screening, and mammography for women.

Mammography is the best available method to detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stage before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms. Women aged 50 and over should get mammograms every two years.

Colorectal cancer screening tests can find precancerous polyps so that they can be removed before they turn into cancer. They can also detect colorectal cancer early, when treatment works best. Older adults should be screened for colorectal cancer by having a fecal occult blood test during the past year or a colonoscopy within 10 years.

Get Vaccinated

Flu and pneumonia is the seventh leading cause of death among adults 65 years or older, despite the availability of effective vaccines. Older adults should get the flu vaccine every year and get the pneumonia vaccine at least once.

Be Physically Active

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things older adults can do for their health. Physical activity can prevent many of the health problems that may come with age, including the risk of falls.

How Much Activity Do Older Adults Need?

2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) every week and muscle-strengthening activities for 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups.

OR

1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., jogging or running) every week and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups.

OR

An equivalent mix of moderate and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity and muscle strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups.

Eat Fruits and Vegetables Daily

Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some cancers and chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Quit Smoking

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States. For help visit

www.smokefree.gov.

Take Medication for High Blood Pressure and Diabetes

High blood pressure & Diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, it’s one of the leading causes of illness and death among older adults. More than ½ of Americans don’t have their blood pressure under control.  Complianceis so essential in treating HTN, Diabetes or any disease including what your M.D. feels you need as a medication, if needed.  The only way to find out is by seeing your health care providers, such as doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, who can track their patient’s blood pressure, prescribe once-a-day medications, and give clear instructions on how to take blood pressure & diabetic medications.

Patients should take the initiative or responsibility to monitor their blood pressure and sugar levels (finger sticks) between medical visits and know what abnormal values to report to their MD.  Including taking their medications as prescribed, tell their doctor about any side effects, and make lifestyle changes, such as eating a low-sodium/low-calorie diet, exercising, and stopping smoking.

Do you want a better body, or a healthier society making our country America better overall?, than go no further and click onto healthy usa.tsfl.com. that will give you the direction to reaching both a better body and society if enough do it.   Healthyusa.tsfl.com provides you with information that you get to decide in choosing whether or not to use.  We provide through Dr. Anderson and his book “Dr. A’s healthy habits” and even provided your own private health coach me (an RN 25 years plus).  This is no donation site, no hacking website, just a site providing information on how to live a healthier life.  I, hope you take the move in making your health better!  Hope I hear from you.