WHAT IS CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE (CHF)?: The term "heart failure" simply means your heart is not pumping blood as well as it should. Heart failure does not mean your heart has stopped working. "Congestive" means fluid is building up in your body because your heart is not pumping correctly.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF CHF?: Contact your doctor if you notice any of these signs:
- Shortness of breath. This is caused by the build-up of fluid in the lungs. One sign to watch for is whether your shortness of breath is worse when you lay flat.
- Fatigue. If it persists over a long period of time, it may be a sign of heart failure. This sluggish feeling may actually be caused by the organs of your body not getting enough oxygen.
- Your feet, legs or stomach get swollen. This is caused when the heart cannot pump fluid through your lungs and heart at an efficient rate. The fluid "backs up" in the veins, with some of the excess fluid leaking into the tissues around the veins. This results in swelling.
- Loss of appetite. Fluid that collects around the digestive organs can cause you to feel full or bloated.
- Rapid weight gain or loss. Extra fluid in your body can cause an increase in weight. Similarly, when your body rids itself of excess fluid, your weight will fall.
- You have a cough that will not go away.
- You cough up blood.
- Pain or a tight feeling in your chest.
WHAT CAUSES CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE?: Any disease that affects the heart and interferes with the circulation can lead to heart failure. Some of the most common causes of CHF include:
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart attack
- High blood pressure
- Problems with heart muscle
- Problems with heart valves
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Toxic substances (such as alcohol)
- Congenital heart disease
- Have diabetes and do not control it
- Weigh too much
- Smoke
- Have high cholesterol
WHAT TREATMENT WILL I NEED?: Much can be done to improve the heart's pumping ability, treat the symptoms of CHF and manage the problem over the long term, but CHF won't go away. An important element of treatment is medication to treat underlying problems such as high blood pressure. Treatment also includes lifestyle changes. Your doctor may recommend the following changes:
Eat a healthy diet - You will need to reduce the amount of salt you eat and make other changes to your diet.
Avoid alcohol - You may have to drink less alcohol or stop drinking completely.
Lose weight - If you're overweight, your doctor will probably recommend that you shed some pounds.
Exercise - Your doctor will help you determine how much and what kind of exercise you can do.
Quit smoking - You MUST quit smoking.
Weight - You will need to monitor your weight.
FAMILY SUPPORT CAN BE A GREAT HELP.
Let your family know how they can help you. Some things they can do for you are:
- Help you take your medicines on time
- Help you fix healthy foods
- Exercise with you
- Join a support group with you
More questions about congestive heart failure?: Call The Montana Heart Center at (406) 327-4646 or toll free at 1-866-327-4646
