Maya Guglin, M.D., told Mary Jo DiLonardo
Your heart’s job is to pump blood around your body, using oxygen to supply all your organs with oxygen that works properly. Heart failure occurs whenever your heart does not pump blood as forcefully as it was designed to.
Maya Gugrin, MD
Maya Gugrin, MD
As your heart struggles to get blood moving, your fluid levels rise. This excess fluid can cause almost all the signs and symptoms of heart failure.
Often, people with heart failure complain of difficulty breathing and fatigue. They may also gain a few pounds.
dyspnea
The heart has two pump chambers: the right ventricle and the left ventricle. The left side of the heart collects oxygen-rich blood flow in areas of the lungs. As a result, when the left ventricle is more affected by heart failure, fluid accumulates in the lung area and the main symptom is difficulty breathing.
Initially, this only happens when you try to perform a truly physically challenging behavior, such as running. But as the disease progresses, it may be difficult to walk on the steps. It’s just harder to walk fast, and then harder to walk anything again. You need to stop often, inhale and exhale.
cough
Eventually, you start getting up during the night because the areas of your lungs are filled with “unpumped” fluid. You need to do sit-ups, and then your gravity pulls the fluid down so that your lung area can breathe again.
At this point, you may also experience wheezing like bronchial asthma and try to cough. Coughing follows exactly the same pattern as dyspnea: it gets worse when you lie lower and every time you do sit-ups.
But when it gets to this point, it’s time to see a doctor or call an ambulance. This is really serious.
The easiest way to understand worsening heart failure is that you have much less of it.
Maya Gugrin, MD
Fluid and swelling
The best side of your heart collects blood from all over your body. If your right ventricle fails, extra fluid builds up in your liver, kidneys, intestines, and legs.
Initially, you may observe your ankles and feet distending through the end during the day. It’s not uncommon for people who spend a lot of time on their feet to do so, meaning the condition is bound to go unnoticed.
Next, the swelling may creep into the body and spread to the calves, thighs and pelvis. If you place your finger on your leg and gently press it, the dent will stay and fade away within the next minute. The medical term is “pitting edema”.
Eventually blisters can form, the skin can break, and the apparent fluid inside begins to seep out. Once the tissue is in that state, it’s easy to get caught up in the contamination called cellulitis, and the legs become red and angry.
This cannot be allowed to happen! Go see a doctor before it gets that bad.
It is more common to achieve left ventricular failure first. For example, a fairly large cardiac arrest usually requires the left ventricle. However, if you just allow fluid to persist in the lung area, this can spread to all other bodies.
It’s important to let yourself know that heart failure is not the only thing that can cause swelling in your feet and legs. Dilated veins called varicose veins can cause much the same signs and symptoms. That’s why you need to notify your doctor about any signs and symptoms you have. Let the experts solve the problem.
Stomach upset and weight gain
Sometimes you might eat some, but suddenly you feel full. But when you barely eat, you find that you gain weight in a way. This is also all the fluid you collect in your body.
Once the liver becomes inflamed as a result (your doctor may call it “distension”), your upper right side may feel sick to your stomach. Many people think they may have an inflamed gall bladder. It’s really a big liver.
Fatigue and changes in activity
The easiest way to understand worsening heart failure is that you have much less of it.
People began to pace themselves. They stopped doing any hobbies that involved exercise. They used to go fishing, though not anymore. They played 18 holes — described how to get down to nine. They try to avoid the stairs every time.
They decide they’re only going to walk a short distance, and they’re going to do it very gradually. Instead of using the upstairs bedroom, they sleep on the sofa in the family room. They decided to settle in a lounge chair. They couldn’t sleep.
See your doctor if you find that this disorder can improve your lifestyle. They are always there to help.
You’ll find that medications that can treat heart failure, including diuretics — or water pills — actually work the fastest. There are many other things that will help.
Heart failure is actually a chronic disease that doesn’t go away. But you can use your doctor to deal with signs and symptoms, and maybe even improve your disease path.