What is heart failure?

Definition

This is a condition when the heart is unable to pump enough blood around the body properly.

As a result, the organs, muscles, and tissues of the body do not get enough oxygen to cater  their  daily needs.

This usually happens when the heart has become too weak or stiff.

Heart failure does not mean that the heart has stopped working.

Symptoms/ what a patient complains of:

∆ shortness of breath and difficulty breathing especially at night when sleeping

∆ Feeling of tiredness and exhausted

∆ Swelling of the legs, ankles and abdomen especially when they woke during the day and less in the morning after waking up

∆ A cough initially dry but later may progress to frothy and can becomes blood stained

∆ Weight gain due to fluid build up

∆ Rapid heart beats or palpitations

∆ Urinating often at night

∆ Difficult in concentrating during work

Causes or risk factors to heart failure

1 Other diseases that damage the heart or blood vessels e.g. Hypertension, Diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease and kidney disease

2 Smoking

3 Alcohol drinking

4  Obesity: severe overweight

5 Certain drugs

6 Unknown causes ( Idiopathic)

How can  prevent cardiac failure

1 Eat a healthy diet

2 Manage your weight in respect to your height

3 Stop smoking

4 Stop taking alcohol

5 Have your diseases like hypertension, Diabetes mellitus check regularly and controlled

6 Avoid stressful situations

7 Have restful adequate sleep of 7-8 hours every night

8 Regularly do physical exercise:  play a sport, swimming, walking or jogging

9 Have yourself screened and tested at least every 6 months  for illnesses like  Hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, Diabetes mellitus, and Obesity

10 Take your medicines regularly as prescribed by your doctor for your risk factor illnesses  and avoid self medication.