Life With Congestive Heart Failure

Most commonly, a patient may experience shortness of breath, fatigue, problems with the heart’s rhythm called arrhythmias, and edema—or fluid buildup—in the legs. Symptoms may be mild or severe and may not always be noticeable. HF is more likely to occur in people with other conditions or lifestyle factors that weaken the heart. You might not feel hungry anymore, so you may eat less. Advanced heart failure can make this more pronounced. Fluid buildup in your body often leads to weight gain.

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If you’re helping to care for someone with heart failure, you can ask to attend doctors’ appointments and to be included in discussions about treatment. Your loved one’s doctor may provide a lot of information during appointments. You can assist by being there to listen and take notes, so that the information is available later. Use your doctors to get the life-extending medications you need then forget about them.

CAD happens when coronary arteries struggle to supply the heart with enough blood, oxygen and nutrients. Cholesterol deposits, or plaques, are almost always to blame. These buildups narrow your arteries, decreasing blood flow to your heart. This can cause chest pain, shortness of breath or even a heart attack.

It’s implanted under the skin in the chest with wires leading through the veins and into the heart. If you have severe heart failure, you may need to use supplemental oxygen for a long time. Health care providers often use the classification systems together to help decide the most appropriate treatment options. Your provider can help you interpret your stage.

As a single woman, love, sex and finding relationship, is something I want in my life. I have been a WH member since the beginning, but just recently joined the online community. I am 47 and had my heart attack at 41, followed by more stents and other assorted health challenges. What we do not seem to discuss enough is how those of us who are single deal with dating and sex. Ask your health care provider how often you should do this.

Atherosclerosis has been linked to heart attacks and strokes. This is the least common type of cardiomyopathy. Sometimes it’s caused by a buildup of protein called amyloid in the heart or connective tissue disorders. Four heart valves — the aortic, mitral, pulmonary and tricuspid — keep the blood moving the right way. The valves open only one way and only when they need to. Valves must open all the way and close tightly so there’s no leakage.

Sexual counseling with your partner can help answer questions, build intimacy and provide useful tips on how to safely resume sex. He’s 35 with a condition that has already been spotted and is presumably being treated, managed and monitored. He’ll be more aware than most about living a healthy lifestyle, watching his weight, eating the right foods. Of all people, he is least likely to drop down dead kicking a football…. It’s the ones that don’t know they have a heart condition that do that.

Exercise prescription

Knowing as much as you can about your family history can be helpful. Physician-scientists at The Texas Heart Institute announced today the results of the largest cell therapy trial to date in patients with chronic heart failure due to low ejection fraction. Also, a strong signal was found in the reduction of cardiovascular death in patients treated with cells. The findings are published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. These medicines may be given by IV to people with certain types of severe heart failure who are in the hospital. Positive inotropes can help the heart pump blood better and maintain blood pressure.

We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Obesity is a known risk factor for heart failure. Research shows that weight loss and subsequent management can be effective in the prevention of heart failure. In a person with CHF, the muscles of the heart may become too stiff, or too weak, to pump blood efficiently.

What is congestive heart failure?

You will receive the first heart failure and transplantation email in your inbox shortly. When seeking answers, people often look to experts for clear and accurate information. By subscribing to heart failure content from Mayo Clinic, you have taken an important first step in gaining knowledge and using it for your overall health and well-being.

Once I put an ad in match.com, but thought about how I’d deal with the heart stuff. I’ve often wished there was a dating service for men and women with heart or chronic illnesses. At this point, it would be a relief to meet men with heart issues. I have haddiabetes since I was young, and that never seemed to be a factor, but the heart stuff really is . I also meet mostly women who have husbands but we know there have to be plenty of single women still interested in dating that have health issues. Making certain lifestyle changes often improve heart failure symptoms.

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This is “pre–heart failure,” according to theCleveland Clinic. A person with a higher likelihood of heart failure may also have a history of rheumatic fever,alcohol abuse, or taking drugs that can damage heart muscle . The results help in identifying those heart failure patients with inflammation who are at greatest risk and most likely to benefit from MPC therapy and findings will be confirmed in future studies. This seminal trial sets the stage for eventually adding cell therapy to the treatment arsenal for heart failure. Some risk factors of heart failure, like age, can’t be modified. Still, people with CHF can take steps to improve the long-term prognosis.

I wish I could have had a childhood like other kids. I was young, and lost with no real understanding. To be honest I’m just now understanding it all https://www.datingrated.com because I put a block there to bare the anxiety and depression that’s attached to it. Thank you for being brave and sharing your life with us.

Learn how lifestyle changes can lower your risk. Consuming too much salt can lead to serious health conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Many consumers are turning to Himalayan sea salt, … Keep in mind that sexual intercourse may not be safe for your stage and type of heart failure, but kissing and touching is okay.