What is heart failure

Congestive heart

Heart failure can be defined as a disorder that affects the heart and weakens its ability to pump blood adequately to the various parts of the body, and because not enough blood reaches the main parts of the body, its functions are disturbed and dysfunctional, according to the statistics conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention About 5.7 million people suffer from heart failure in the United States of America, and although most of those affected are men, women are more likely to die if they develop heart failure.Leave it untreated. It is worth noting that heart failure may affect the right side of the heart, the left side, or both sides, and it may be acute or chronic failure, but in severe insufficiency, symptoms appear quickly and last for a short period of time, and this often follows valve disorders or seizures. Heart failure , and chronic insufficiency, its symptoms persist for life. ^[1]

Symptoms of heart failure

In fact, the symptoms and signs that appear in the event of heart failure vary from one person to another, as well as they may appear suddenly for some, and they may appear gradually over several weeks or months. Symptoms and signs can be divided as follows: ^{[2] [3]}

• The most common symptoms: including the following:
  • Shortness of breath : The patient often suffers from it when lying down, and the patient may wake up from his sleep unable to catch himself, and in general the patient may suffer from shortness of breath when practicing various activities, and when resting as well.
  • Feeling tired, general fatigue, and the inability to exercise as a feeling that it is very exhausting.
  • The ankles and legs swell due to the accumulation of fluids in them, and the swelling is usually slight in the morning, and is more intense at the end of the day.
• Less common symptoms: These symptoms may appear, but less common than previously, including the following:
  • Constant cough , worse at night.
  • Flatulence
  • Whistling sound while breathing.
  • Anorexia.
  • Weight loss or gain.
  • Dizziness and perhaps even fainting.
  • Increased need to urinate at night.
  • Feeling sick.
  • Difficulty concentrating.
  • Shortness of breath is severe and sudden, often accompanied by a cough with abnormal mucus.
  • Rapid or irregular heartbeat.
  • Feeling depressed or anxious

Causes of heart failure

Heart failure often occurs as a result of a health problem that weakens the heart or causes it to harden, and among these health problems are the following: ^[3]

• Coronary heart disease: Coronary artery disease appears as a result of the accumulation of fats on the walls of the arteries, causing them to narrow, and this in turn limits the flow of blood and its course, and this may also lead to heart attacks , and it is worth noting Coronary heart disease is the most common heart disease , as well as the most common cause of heart failure.
• High blood pressure: The suffering of a person with high blood pressure forces the heart to make a greater effort to do its job, and this in turn may cause the heart muscle to weaken or stiffen, which may lead to suffering from heart failure.
• Heart valvular disorder: It is known that the valves of the heart keep the blood flowing in the correct direction, and if the heart is defective as a result of infection or otherwise, the heart expends more energy to maintain its proper functioning, and this weakens it leading to its failure.
• Cardiac arrhythmia: may cause cardiac arrhythmia of increasing heart rate to increase the voltage on the heart, and on the other hand , cardiac arrhythmia goal slowly may cause heart occurrence of heart failure.
• Congenital heart disease: Congenital heart defects appear from birth, and they may be disturbances in the muscle itself, or in the heart chambers or valves, which in turn increases the chance of developing heart failure.
• Inflammation of the heart muscle: often inflammation of the heart muscle occurs as a result of exposure to the virus, and this usually leads to inflammation failure left side of the heart.
• Cardiomyopathy: often cardiomyopathy as a result of heart infection, or because of drugs such as cocaine , or because of exposure to certain toxins or certain types of medications such as chemotherapy, it should be noted that the factors Genetics play an important role in the emergence of this disease.
• Other health problems: Certain diseases may increase the risk of heart failure such as diabetes , hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and HIV infection . Amyloidosis, hemochromatosis, and there are also some factors that cause acute heart failure such as an allergic reaction, lung stroke, and acute infection.

Prevention of heart failure

Adopting a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of developing heart failure as well as the risk of suffering from diseases and health problems that may cause the emergence of heart failure. Among the advice that is provided in this area is the following: ^[1]

• Get regular exercise.
• Losing weight if you are overweight or obese.
• Refrain from drinking alcohol.
• Quit smoking .
• Make sure to get enough rest and sleep.
• Avoid high - fat foods .
• Reducing the amount of salt intake.

References

1. ^ ^{A b} "Heart View the Failure" , Www.healthline.com , Retrieved February 20, 2018. Edited by .
2. ↑ "Heart failure" , www.nhs.uk , Retrieved February 20, 2018. Edited.
3. ^ ^{A b} "Heart View Failure" , Www.mayoclinic.org , Retrieved February 20. Edited by .