Understanding Your Arrhythmia Diagnosis
Being diagnosed with any kind of heart condition can be worrisome. An arrhythmia diagnosis can also be confusing. Learn what an arrhythmia is and what you can expect in the way of treatment.
5 Encouraging Facts about Congestive Heart Failure
Seeing the words “heart” and “failure” next to each other in a diagnosis is uncomfortable, but it doesn’t mean your heart has actually failed. Congestive heart failure (CHF) means your heart isn’t working as efficiently as it could be.
It’s cause for concern, but you have some control over what happens next.
Our providers at Pinnacle Healthcare System would like to offer you some encouragement if you have congestive heart failure. By making some lifestyle changes, monitoring your condition, and getting appropriate treatment, you can improve how well your heart functions.
Each time your heart beats, it pumps oxygenated blood to every part of your body. When you have congestive heart failure, the pumping action of your heart is weaker, so the blood moves to the parts of your body slower.
CHF can develop as a result of aging, due to being overweight or obese, having a condition such as Type 2 diabetes or coronary artery disease, or having other heart conditions. As scary as it may be to know your heart isn’t as efficient as it could be, it’s not all bad news.
Here are five encouraging facts about congestive heart failure.
Monitoring gives you some control
If your doctor thinks you have CHF, they will likely recommend a few tests. One measures your ejection fraction, which is the amount of blood your heart pumps out compared with the amount of blood in the chambers of your heart.
Your doctor monitors your ejection fraction over time, which helps you understand whether your efforts to improve your health are effective.
You can also monitor your symptoms. For example, if you have edema, or swelling, due to CHF, you can monitor whether it’s getting worse or better. Your doctor will likely ask you to keep an eye on your weight, as rapid weight gain can be a symptom of worsening heart failure.
Change your diet and exercise habits
By consuming a heart-healthy diet that’s low in sodium and saturated fats and that emphasizes fresh vegetables and fruits, you can help your heart to function more efficiently. Too much sodium can lead to increased water retention, which in turn, makes your heart work harder.
Similarly, a diet high in fat can lead to worsening vascular health with more buildup in your arteries. Narrower blood vessels also make it harder for your heart to pump efficiently.
Establishing a regular exercise routine offers many benefits for your heart. Physical activity strengthens your heart, improves your circulation, and increases your energy levels.
We can help you develop an exercise routine that is safe, builds up slowly, and leads to a healthier heart.
Effective medications are available
Numerous medications are available to treat congestive heart failure. Some of the most common include:
- ACE inhibitors
- Aldosterone antagonists
- Angiotensin receptor blockers
- Beta blockers
- Digoxin
- Diuretics
- Hydralazine
- Potassium
- Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors
The best combination of medications for you depends on the underlying cause of your CHF, how your treatment is progressing, and many other factors. Medications are an effective and well-understood method of treating CHF.
Lifestyle changes make a difference
Along with consuming a healthy diet and establishing a regular exercise routine, you can make other changes to improve your ejection fraction. For example, quitting smoking is one of the most important changes heart failure patients can make.
If you’re overweight or obese, losing weight can help, and if you’re changing your diet and exercise habits, losing weight may be a natural consequence of those efforts.
Lowering your stress is a powerful tool to improve how your heart works. Minimizing your commitments, scheduling time for activities you enjoy, and practicing yoga, meditation, or simple breathing exercises are all good ways to reduce stress.
Getting an adequate amount of high-quality sleep also helps improve heart function. Aim for seven to nine hours per night, and develop a nighttime routine that promotes good sleep.
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