These questions about Congestive Heart Failure all lead to other questions. Once you know the symptoms and determine you have some or all of them, what is your next step? How is Congestive Heart Failure diagnosed? The first thing to do when you realize that you have some or all of the symptoms of CHF is to GET TO THE DOCTOR! Your doctor will then diagnose your condition. Congestive Heart Failure is diagnosed by a physician by taking a medical history, listening to the complaints of symptoms of the patient, and doing a physical exam by running some different tests. Some of these tests may include chest x-ray, Electrocardiogram (EKG), Echocardiogram, blood tests, stress tests, and/or Coronary Catheterization (Angiogram).
What Treatments Help CHF?
Once again, with this new information and answers to questions come more questions. Once you are diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure what then? How is CHF treated? As was mentioned before, Congestive Heart Failure can not, at this time in medical technology, be cured. However, there are many things that can be done by an individual to improve the heart’s pumping ability and to treat the symptoms that are associated with CHF. One of the most important things to take care of is any underlying health problems that the patient may have. Treatment also includes lifestyle changes and medications that one must take to assist the heart function. Without treatment, the heart continues to grow weaker and weaker. With treatment, a failing heart can, over time, become stronger once again, and signs and symptoms of heart failure can improve. There are many different treatments that physicians may recommend all or part of.
Diet is a Treatment of CHF
One thing that is addressed in regard to treating CHF is the diet of the patient. One of the things that is worst for the failing heart is salt in the diet. Salt can cause water retention, making your heart work harder, and increasing the shortness of breath. With the heart’s trouble of pumping blood, retaining water is already a problem for the body, without adding an abundance of salt in the diet to the mix. This water retention can cause swollen legs, ankles, and feet. Your physician will instruct you on what kind of salt limits must be put on your diet each day. Normal restrictions for CHF patients’ diets are 2 grams of sodium per day. In severe heart failure cases 1 gram of sodium or less may be ordered by the physician.
Medication May be Prescribed
Along with diet, medication is another first step to treatment of a Congestive Heart Failure patient. Many different medications are used to treat heart failure. These medicines can do many things, from improving the pumping ability of the heart, to decreasing congestion, to eliminating fluid overload, which can happen easily.
Each CHF case is different, making it hard to find the right medicine right off. Sometimes finding the right combinations of medications takes a bit of trial and error. Amounts of medications make a difference as well. There are several run-of-the-mill meds that are given to a CHF patient. First are ACE/ARBs inhibitors. These inhibitors help dilate or open arteries. They also help to lower blood pressure, improving the blood flow to the heart. Another common medication that is given to CHF patients is diuretics.
These help with the excess fluid that is built up in the body. They help to make the kidneys eliminate unneeded or excess fluid from the body. They are often called “water pills” because the taker urinates more often in order to keep fluid from building up. They can also help decrease fluid in the lungs, helping you breathe easier. Beta-Blockers are also a common medication prescribed. They can help improve blood flow and may help prevent some heart rhythm heart problems. Another medication that is often given to heart failure patients is Digoxin, also called Digitalis. This med helps the heart pump better. It also tends to slow the heartbeat. It reduces heart failure symptoms and improves your ability to live with the condition.
These and other medications may be prescribed by your doctor in order to make your life easier to live. Whatever medicine plan your doctor has in mind for you, the most important thing is to take it regularly and on time. Another great thing to do is record how you feel after you take the medicines.