One must take care of one’s health and fitness and should not ignore even the slightest changes in one’s body. After all...
Heart failure, also called Congestive heart failure, affects 64.3 million people worldwide.
It is vital to protect the heart from the
impact of heart failure.
Heart failure is a chronic/progressive
condition that occurs in the heart muscle when it is unable to pump enough
blood to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen.
Heart failure is becoming more common because
of the modern and unhealthy lifestyle
people have adopted. The main way to prevent any disease or illness is to
follow a healthy
diet and exercise
Now, let’s go through some of the risk
factors, symptoms, stages and prevention measures for heart failure.
➢ Common Risk Factors:
Certain heart conditions gradually leave the
heart weak or stiff to pump and fill blood properly, which ultimately leads to
heart failure.
-
Coronary-Artery disease
- Heart
Attack
- Heart
Valve Disease
- High
Blood Pressure
-
Irregular heartbeats
-
Congenital Heart Disease
- Diabetes
-
Alcohol use
- Sleep
apnea
- Smoking
or using Tabacco
- Obesity
- Certain viruses
Lifestyle changes, such as healthy eating, exercising, managing stress etc., can play a very important role in improving the quality of life and reduce the risk factors.
➢ Symptoms:
-
Fatigue, dizziness
-
Shortness of breath while lying down or doing some activity
-
Reduction in ability to exercise
-
Swelling of the abdomen
- Rapid
weight gain
-
Congested lungs
- Chest
pain
-
Nausea
-
Swelling in legs, feet
-
Bloating
➢ The progression of heart failure is as
follows:
STAGE-A: At high risk for heart failure
STAGE-B: Heart disease without symptoms
STAGE-C: Heart disease with symptoms
STAGE-D: Advanced heart failure
➢ How can you prevent it from getting worse?
- Try
to maintain your blood pressure in control so that heart can pump blood
efficiently without extra stress.
-
Maintain your fluid balance, it’ll be harder for your heart to pump
excess fluid through your body if you carry more fluid in your blood vessels.
-
Monitor your body weight.
- Limit
the salt in your diet - you’ll have less fluid retention which means less
swelling and easier breathing.
- Get
your regular check-up done as advised by the doctor.
- Lastly, keep a check on your symptoms. If you notice any of the symptoms, call your doctor immediately.
One must take care of one’s health and fitness
and should not ignore even the slightest changes in one’s body. After all,
“Protecting one heart is protecting many.”
By: Sakshi Bisht | Life Within
