Our heart keeps us going. Our heart may develop certain problems as we age or due to the lifestyle choices we make. Smoking, being obese or overweight, leading a sedentary lifestyle may trigger heart failures to a great extent. Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart does not pump enough blood as required to the heart muscle. Latent conditions such as coronary heart disease and or high blood condition may stiffen the heart muscles allowing them to pump very little blood only. Heart failure can be acute and sudden or it can arise due to inherent chronic heart problems in juveniles as well as adults. The symptoms that might show signs of an impending heart attack or the risk of heart failure are as follows:
- Irregular heartbeats
- Sweating profusely for no inherent or apparent reason
- Edema in the ankles or legs or feet
- Bloated stomach
- Weight gain due to water retention in the body
- Extreme weakness or fatigue
- Nausea and very low appetite
- Frequent urination in the night
It is imperative to visit a hospital or see a doctor if
- You have chest pain accompanied by sweat and are unable to talk or breathe normally
- You have fainted or lost consciousness for a brief period
- Extreme fatigue characterized by profuse bouts of sweat
- Nausea, vomiting with chest pain
- Coughing up foamy mucus with blood
These symptoms may signal a heart attack or maybe due to any underlying causes such as lung or stomach problems, however visiting the hospital eliminates the threat of a heart attack. If you have been diagnosed with heart problems or you have a pacemaker or any other device connected to your heart or recently you have undergone any angioplasty or by-pass surgery, it is important that you report these symptoms to a doctor immediately to prevent any kind of eventuality.
Causes of Heart Failure:
Heart failure occurs due to various conditions. In many cases genetically Indians over and above the age of 60 are prone to heart diseases. A heart that becomes weak or stiff due to high blood pressure or narrowing of the arteries leads to heart failure which can be a temporal or permanent phenomenon. Heart failure is a condition in which the four chambers of the heart the arteries and ventricles fail to pump blood as required between the beats. In certain cases the heart muscles become weak or damaged or stiff, leading the ventricles to dilate and cause the inefficient supply of blood to all parts of the body. The ejection fraction is an important measurement factor. In a normally functioning heart, the ejection factor is more than 50 percent high indicating good blood pumping.
The signs of congestive heart failure are an accumulation of blood in the liver, the lower lungs or the abdomen. Heart failures need not necessarily be congestive heart failures and is characterized by shortness of breath and extreme tiredness and weakness. Heart failure involves the left ventricle and the right ventricle or may involve either of them.
Types of heart failure
Left-sided heart failure involving the left Ventricle
Right-sided heart failure involving the right ventricle
Systolic heart failure
Diastolic heart failure (also known as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction)
Description
Fluid may turn back in to your lungs, causing potential shortness of breath.
Fluid may get back into our abdomen, legs and feet, causing swelling or edema due to fluid retention
The left ventricle fails to contract vigorously, like in a normal heart indicating a pumping inefficiency.
The left ventricle can't relax or fill completely as before, indicating a filling in problem or malfunction.
Inherent or latent problems like coronary heart diseases, cardiomyopathy faulty heart valves and uncontrolled high blood pressure must be identified and treated promptly to prevent heart failures.
Why KIMS?
KIMS is a leading healthcare provider in India and is vetoed as the best heart hospital of all the heart care hospitals in the south by our valued patients. At KIMS the best cardiologists treat your heart ailments; the best heart surgeons perform your heart procedures. The heart care available at KIMS is the best in class. KIMS Hospital in Secunderabad is the best heart hospital in the twin states of Andhra and Telangana providing expert world-class heart care at affordability. KIMS hospital is easily accessible and works round the clock to cater to any emergency at all the time. Our Heart specialists are well trained in emergency and critical care situations and are thoroughly well versed to bring in the best outcomes in such challenging times.