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HEART FAILURE
| CLASSIFICATIONS OF HEART FAILURE: | class 1: no
undue symptoms associated with ordinary activity and no limitations of
physical activity. class 11: slight
limitation of physical activity, patient comfortable at
rest. class 111: marked limitation of
physical activity, patient comfortable at rest. class
1V: inability to carry on any physical activity without discomfort,
symptoms of cardiac insufficiency or chest pain possible even at rest.
This system was developed by the New York Heart Association to provide a standardized
set of criteria for the classification of heart failure.
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| DEFINITION: | Heart failure is the hearts inability to pump enough blood through the rest of the body. Heart failure usually develops slowly, and symptoms may not appear until the condition has progressed over years. The heart makes adjustments to cope and hide the effects of heart failure: enlargement (which allows more blood into the heart), thickening of muscle fibers to strengthen the heart to pump more forcefully, more frequent contraction to increase the circulation. |
| CAUSES: | Causes include coronary disease, muscle scarring and damage caused by heart attack, cardiac arrhythmias, or any disorder that causes swelling or thickening of the heart. Infections in the heart and problems with the heart valves. It can also be caused when the heart is worked too hard by severe anemia and thyrotoxicoses. (disease from overactive thyroid gland) |
| SYMPTOMS: | Symptoms include, shortness of breath ( may be due to fluid in the lungs) during rest or exercise, fatigue and easy tiring due to muscles and other tissues not receiving oxygen and nutrition, fluid accumulation causing swelling of the feet, ankles, legs and sometimes abdomen, quick weight gain due to fluid retention, persistent coughing or raspy breathing or wheezing. |
| "DR." TESTS: | Physical examination to check for shortness of breath, fatigue and swelling, hypertension, obesity and taking of family history. With stethoscope he will listen to breathing and lung sounds, and abnormal heart sounds. He will have lab perform electrocardiogram, chest x-ray. |
| TREATMENTS: | If from overload, primary disease may be treated. Anatomical problems such as heart valve defects can be surgically corrected. Lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, losing weight, no alcohol, reduce salt and fat, regular moderate exercise, and drug therapy. Drug therapies that have proven useful are, diuretics to reduce fluids, digitalis to increase the force of the heart's contraction to help improve circulation, and ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor) which improve the survival rate among heart failure patients and may slow or prevent the loss of heart pumping activity. |
| NOTES: | Heart failure is one of the most serious symptoms of heart disease. As heart failure progresses, patients often lose the ability to perform even modest physical activity. The loss of functioning ability can occur quickly if the heart is further weakened by heart attacks or the worsening of the conditions that affect heart failure. Heart failure patients have an increased risk of sudden death caused by an irregular heartbeat. |
| IMPORTANT | It is of utmost importance that patients take care of themselves, to visit their physician regularly, closely follow physicians instructions, take all medication according to instructions, immediately inform physician of significant changes such as worse shortness of breath, or swollen feet. |