“Your body has an amazing ability to make up for heart failure. It may do such a good job that you don’t know you have a disease. But at some point, your heart and body will no longer be able to keep up. Then fluid starts to build up in your body, and you have symptoms like feeling weak and out of breath. ”
WebMD under Heart Failure Health Center
Types of Heart Failure
The term congestive heart failure (CHF) is often used to describe all patients with heart failure. In reality, congestion=the buildup of fluids in the heart for not pumping correctly, just like pipes in a home not working properly=back up of water in the pipes, happens with CHF also to the fluids (blood) backing up in the lungs. This is just one feature of the condition and does not occur in all patients. There are two main categories of heart failure although within each category, symptoms and effects may differ from patient to patient. The two categories are:
1-Systolic heart failure (systolic is the top number of your blood pressure=the heart at work). This occurs when the heart’s (muscle-myocardium) ability to contract (pump=being active) decreases, particularly starting on the L side of the heart where the muscle of the heart is greatest (myocardium=heart muscle). The heart cannot pump blood with enough force to push a sufficient amount out of the heart into the circulation through the aorta. The aorta is a artery (vessel) that leaves the L lower chamber of the heart (left side of the heart=highly oxygenated rich blood). Due to the heart not using enough force pushing the blood forward in the aorta this causes the blood to back up and cause it to go back up into the L lower to the L upper chamber that goes further back up into the pulmonary vein into the lungs=congestion in the lungs due to the heart failure.
2-Diastolic heart failure (diastolic is the bottom number of your blood pressure which is the pressure when the heart is at rest). This failure occurs when the heart has a problem relaxing. The heart cannot properly fill with blood because the muscle of the heart due to trying so hard to compensate over a long period of time with disease (ex. High B/P, Obesity, etc…) strains the heart in doing its function that failure finally starts that the muscle of the heart (myocardium) becomes stiff. This causes the heart to lose its ability to relax to allow proper filling of the heart in upper and lower chambers=back up of the blood. This failure starts on the right side of the heart causing the blood to back up away from the heart and may lead this blood that is highly concentrated with carbon dioxide to accumulation especially in the feet, ankles and legs. Some patients may have lung congestion.
Doctors usually classify patients’ heart failure according to the severity of their symptoms. The table below describes the most commonly used classification system, the New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification. It places patients in one of four categories based on how much they are limited during physical activity. Here are how the classes are defined based on symptoms.
| Functional Capacity: How a patient with cardiac disease feels during physical activity. Here are the classes of CHF which is based on the symptoms the patient is experiencing & how it affects him or her in doing activities of daily living. | |
| I | Patients with cardiac disease but resulting in no limitation of physical activity. Ordinary physical activity does not cause undue fatigue, palpitation, dyspnea or anginal pain. |
| II | Patients with cardiac disease resulting in slight limitation of physical activity. They are comfortable at rest. Ordinary physical activity results in fatigue, palpitation, dyspnea or anginal pain. |
| III | Patients with cardiac disease resulting in marked limitation of physical activity. They are comfortable at rest. Less than ordinary activity causes fatigue, palpitation, dyspnea or anginal pain. |
| IV | Patients with cardiac disease resulting in inability to carry on any physical activity without discomfort. Symptoms of heart failure or the anginal syndrome may be present even at rest. If any physical activity is undertaken, discomfort increases. |
Causes of Heart Failure:
As stated, the heart loses some of its blood pumping ability as a natural consequence of aging. How- ever, a number of other factors can lead to a potentially life-threatening loss of pumping activity.
As a symptom of underlying heart disease, heart failure is closely associated with the major risk factors for coronary heart disease: smoking, high cholesterol levels, hypertension (persistent high blood pressure), diabetes= abnormal blood sugar levels, and obesity. A person can change or eliminate those risk factors and thus lower their risk of developing or aggravating their heart disease and heart failure through healthy habits performed routinely, proper dieting, and balancing rest with exercise.
Among prominent risk factors, hypertension-HTN (high blood pressure) and diabetes are PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT. Uncontrolled HTN increases the risk of heart failure by 200 %, compared to those who do not have hypertension. Moreover, the degree of risk appears directly related to the severity of the high blood pressure.
Persons with diabetes have about a two to eight fold greater risk of heart failure than those without diabetes. Women with diabetes have a greater risk of heart failure than men with diabetes. Part of the risk comes from the diabetes association with other risk factors for heart disease such as high cholesterol or obesity or other risk factors. However, the disease process of diabetes also damages the heart muscle.
The presence of coronary disease is among the greatest risks for heart failure. Muscle damage and scarring caused by a heart attack greatly increase the risk of heart failure. Cardiac arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, also raise heart failure risk. Any disorder that causes abnormal swelling or thickening of the heart sets the stage for heart failure.
In some people, heart failure arises from problems with heart valves, the flap-like structures that help regulate blood flow through the heart. Infections in the heart are another source of increased risk for heart failure.
A single risk factor may be sufficient to cause heart failure, but a combination of factors dramatically increases the risk. Advanced age adds to the potential impact of any heart failure risk.
Finally, genetic abnormalities contribute to the risk for certain types of heart disease, which in turn may lead to heart failure. However, in most instances, a specific genetic link to heart failure has not been identified.
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 as your health coach could provide you within a reachable cost. To just view what can be offered to you for no price with no hacking go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and take a peek;)
“Around 1% of people under 65 years of age have heart failure, but 7% of 75-84 year olds have heart failure and this increases to 15% in people older than 85. It is the most common cause of hospitalisation in patients over 65 years of age.”
MontifioreHeartCenter
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. Tune in on Monday for Types of CHF and causes. Hope you come back reading more on learning about CHF.
“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.”
From an Irish headstone― Richard Puz, The Carolinian
Losing someone or something (ex. house) you love or care deeply about is very painful. You may experience all kinds of difficult emotions and it may feel like the pain and sadness you’re experiencing will never let up. These are normal reactions to a significant loss. But while there is no right or wrong way to grieve, there are healthy ways to cope with the pain that, in time, can renew you and permit you to move on.
For me personally I lost a dear family member this past week and anyone out their who has had a loss recently–I can relate to what you might be feeling with providing my deepest condolences to you and know you can move on. Like I told on the day of the funeral, to a few people, that Marian is in the next world so much happier being out of misery but it is us on earth in misery but it will heal in time like a wound. For all people effected it will heal in varying degrees. The other thing I stated was she has never left us, she’s with all old and new loved ones in heaven. Those left behind on Earth she saw all the time, some a few to rarely, but will never leave us helping us get through this rough time just like my father was there in 1999 when he died of cancer and never left me. I know she is keeping a close eye on all loved ones she had in her life. As long as she is better off I know that its for the better which overrides any of my misery. Being a RN over 25 years seeing so many types of patients including being a oncology nurse loss of a loved one might be easier for me in dealing with than some but trust me I still have feelings like everyone else in this world. Marian what kills me the most is we didn’t see each other with the family a lot due primarily distance but you will be missed by many. God has his reasons for you to leave this world and unfortunately we couldn’t do more time with each other in this world. I am very thankful I got to meet you in my lifetime.
Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief will be. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one—which is often the cause of the most intense type of grief—but any loss can cause grief, including: Divorce, loss of health, loss of a job, loss of financial stability, retirement, loss of a friendship, loss of a cherished dream (ex. spouses in their own business, planning to get married that never happens, loss of a mortgage on a new home, a loss of a baby, etc…).
The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief. However, even subtle losses can lead to grief. For example, you might experience grief after moving away from home, graduating from college, changing jobs, selling your family home, or retiring from a career you loved.
Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. How you grieve depends on many factors, including your personality and coping style, your life experience, your faith, and the nature of the loss. The grieving process takes time. Healing happens gradually; it can’t be forced or hurried—and there is no “normal” timetable for grieving. Some people start to feel better in weeks or months. For others, the grieving process is measured in years. Whatever your grief experience, it’s important to be patient with yourself and allow the process to naturally unfold.
Dr Elisabeth Kübler-Ross pioneered methods in the support and counselling of personal trauma, grief and grieving, associated with death and dying. She also dramatically improved the understanding and practices in relation to bereavement and hospice care. This is quite aside from the validity of her theoretical work itself, on which point see the note, right.
Her ideas, notably the five stages of grief model, the model was first introduced by American Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her 1969 book, On Death and Dying, and was inspired by her work with terminally ill patients but simply a significant loss can experience these steps as well. They are: 1.) Denial 2.) Anger 3.) Bargaining 4.) Depression 5.) Acceptance . You go through all these steps in a loss and repeat them and not in order for all. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to go through each stage in order to heal. In fact, some people resolve their grief without going through any of these stages. And if you do go through these stages of grief, you probably won’t experience them in a neat, sequential order, so don’t worry about what you “should” be feeling or which stage you’re supposed to be in.Kübler-Ross herself never intended for these stages to be a rigid framework that applies to everyone who mourns. In her last book before her death in 2004, she said of the five stages of grief: “They were never meant to help tuck messy emotions into neat packages. They are responses to loss that many people have, but there is not a typical response to loss, as there is no typical loss. Our grieving is as individual as our lives.”
While loss affects people in different ways, many experience the following symptoms when they’re grieving. Just remember that almost anything that you experience in the early stages of grief is normal—including feeling like you’re going crazy, feeling like you’re in a bad dream, or questioning your religious beliefs.
Symptoms of Grief: Shock and disbelief – Right after a loss, it can be hard to accept what happened. Sadness – Profound sadness is probably the most universally experienced. Guilt – You may regret or feel guilty about things you did or didn’t say or do. Anger – Even if the loss was nobody’s fault, you may feel angry and resentful. If you lost a loved one, you may be angry with yourself, God, the doctors, or even the person who died for abandoning you. You may feel injustice has been done to you. Fear – A significant loss can trigger a host of worries and fears. You may feel anxious, helpless, or insecure. You may even have panic attacks. You may feel fears of how do I live without this person. Physical Symptoms – We often think of grief as a strictly emotional process, but grief often involves physical problems, including fatigue, nausea, lowered immunity, weight loss or weight gain, aches and pains, and insomnia.
Coping with grief and loss is one get support. The single most important factor in healing from loss is having the support of other people. do not grieve alone. Connecting to others will help you heal.
Finding support after a loss
Article is all from the Mayo clinic Nov 2012
“Certain factors contribute to the unwanted buildup of fatty deposits (atherosclerosis) that narrows arteries throughout your body. You can improve or eliminate many of these risk factors to reduce your chances of having a first or subsequent heart attack.”
MAYO CLINIC
People who are at risk for the development of coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction include those who fall into any of the categories listed below:
-People with a history of heart disease.
-Males.
-Smokers.
-People with high cholesterol.
-People with high blood pressure.
-Obese people.
-People with diabetes.
-People who suffer stress.
-People who live a sedentary life style.
-Heredity is a powerful factor that contributes to early heart disease. Being male is a risk factor, but the incidence of heart disease in women increases dramatically after menopause.
-The risk factors to concentrate upon are those that can be modified. These include cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, sedentary life style and stress. Cigarette smoking causes many deaths from myocardial infarction and other heart diseases. Smoking contributes to almost half of the heart attacks of women under age 55.
-Stopping smoking can greatly reduce your chances of having a heart attack. Controlling blood pressure can reduce your risk of heart attack. Lowering cholesterol to safe levels through diet and medications can reduce your risk and may even lead to some regression of the plaques already present. Lean body weight and a regular exercise program are helpful.
-If you are diabetic, precise control of your diabetes will help reduce your risk of blood vessel damage due to diabetes. Stress is a risk factor that is common, difficult to quantify and difficult to control effectively over time. Methods of stress reduction include meditation, regular exercise, time management, and a supportive environment.
How is a heart attack diagnosed?
Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack. The chest pain is usually a burning or pressure sensation beneath the mid or upper breast bone. The pain may radiate into the upper mid back, neck, jaw or arms. The pain may be severe but often is only moderate in severity.
There may be associated shortness of breath or sweating. If patients have had angina previously, the heart attack pain will feel the same as their usual angina only stronger and more prolonged. If you have a pain like this that lasts longer than 15 minutes, it is best to be evaluated immediately.
Calling your medic unit is the fastest and safest way to ask for help. If you have symptoms like this that wax and wane, this is often a warning sign that a heart attack is about to occur and prompt medical attention is needed.
Once you are in an emergency room or a doctor’s office an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) will be obtained. This is often helpful in diagnosing a heart attack. Sometimes, however, the test is normal even when the heart injury is present but usually a great diagnostic tool.
When heart cells die, certain enzymes present in heart cells are released into the bloodstream that serve as a marker of heart injury (troponin I and CPK or CK-MB). These enzymes can be measured by blood tests. The amount of enzyme released into the blood stream also helps assess how much heart damage has occurred.
TREATMENT:
The best way to limit the size of a heart attack is to restore the flow of blood to the heat muscle as fast as possible. There are two basic methods to do this.
Because most heart attacks are caused by clots forming within the coronary artery, dissolving the clot quickly will restore blood flow. Drugs called thrombolytics are quite effective.
The sooner these drugs are given, the quicker the blood flow will be restored. An alternative method involves the use of balloon angioplasty.
This involves taking the heart attack victim promptly to the cardiac cath lab in the hospital.
An angiogram is performed to show the blocked blood vessel leading to the heart attack. Then a balloon catheter is placed across the blockage and flow is restored.
Sometimes a stent (a device that assists in holding the blood vessel open) is placed to create a large channel.
Smaller heart attacks, often those not producing significant abnormalities on the ECG are often treated with bedrest and blood thinners such as heparin as well as drugs to reduce the work the heart does.
These heart attacks are called non-transmural myocardial infarctions. Before discharge, x-ray studies of the heart arteries are often carried out to see if angioplasty or surgery will be necessary.
Following thrombolytic (clot reducing) therapy, angiogram are often performed to outline the coronary anatomy to help determine if additional therapy such as angioplasty or bypass surgery is indicated. This may be done during the initial hospitalization or later as an outpatient procedure.
After seeing the disease census 2011 in our country; now the next question would be is there anyway we can decrease diseases in our country overtime, like in a decade or less. Well, all the diseases I covered yesterday are impacted on what healthy habits you practice over a long period of time in your life; than these diseases can be controlled better. Wouldn’t you want to see less disease and more people young and old healthier. I know I sure would after being a RN over a quarter of a century seeing so many diseases and ones that could have been prevented by a society more health oriented than based on their food cravings. We have all heard we need to make sacrifices for certain things in life. Would you think sacrificing fast foods being eaten daily or low glycemic meals in large sizes for all your meals over numerous years that prones you to putting weight on putting you at risk for disease is worth sacrificing? I finally do in my 40’s and it’s not that hard of a sacrifice since it allowed me to remove all toxins from my body from unhealthy fast foods with looking and feeling better. I ate like that and it took me about 6mths to finally get the routine down of eating 6 small low glycemic meals a day with having occasional high glycemic foods (Ex. fast foods to ice cream and more) with doing routine exercise 2-3x a week and practicing these healthy habits based on Dr. Wayne Scott Anderson’s book “Dr. A.’s Habits of Health” on a regular basis not just 2wks or 2mths or when I exercise but for life which so far has allowed me to lose 20 lbs. I hope to lose 20 more to make my goal to 138lbs at 5’7”. If the majority of America lived healthier like this there would be less disease in our country which would put a positive impact on our health care system for all but it would take a decade but we need to start somewhere and today is the best day to start for both us as well as future generations to come. Eating healthier, losing weight down to the ideal body mass index ratio based on your height, exercise routinely (not necessarily meaning an aerobic work out), and practicing healthy habits would increase your chance of living longer healthy and put your life on a journey . Join me and become healthier with spreading the healthyusa.tsfl.com news to make America a healthier country and most importantly yourself. It’s like how we were taught by mom and dad at a young age the better you take care of your car the longer it will last. If taught young and even now at an older age the better we treat ourselves regarding health the higher the odds we will live a longer and more prosperous life, not necessarily as long as Mr. Spock. There is not just one food to eat or one type of exercise to do or one healthy habit to keep you healthy, there’s choices. Click onto my website which is no fee, no charge, no hacking, just letting you check us out to look further in understanding how Dr. Anderson with myself as your health coach could change your health for the better. It allows you to make all the decisions in what you want to do regarding exercise, in what to eat, and what healthy habits you want to practice. We just provide the information and food if you decide you want it. I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you for lending me your ear in listening how we can make a better and healthier USA.