The heart is a muscular valve that pumps blood to various regions of the body. Heart failure occurs when the heart's pump gets weak and the heart is unable to pump the amount of blood that the body requires.
When a person has heart failure, he will have trouble breathing when exerting himself and, later on, even when at rest. An abrupt increase in weight could be a symptom of heart failure. Swelling in the ankles and legs is another common symptom of heart failure. An irregular heartbeat or pulse rate may also be seen in some people.
Once we have a suspicion of heart failure, we can run a series of tests to confirm our diagnosis.
ECG - It will show evidence of any heart attack in the past which could be the reason for heart failure. In addition, ECG will guide us whether this patient is eligible for Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy, if medical therapy fails
2D Echo & Doppler – This is ultrasound of the heart where we can measure the size of different chambers, look for any leakage in heart valves and also assess heart function by Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF). In a normal person, LVEF is more than 60%, if this value is low than that person is prone to have heart failure.
NTproBNP - This is a blood indicator that is raised in patients with heart failure. This is useful in cases where the cause of breathlessness is unknown, with the most common cause being a lung condition. When nTproBNP levels are high, physicians know the patient is suffering from heart failure.
The first step is to look for any causes of heart failure that can be reversed. Heart failure will improve on its own if the underlying cause is addressed. For example, if heart failure is caused by blockages in cardiac vessels, the heart receives less blood, causing the heart muscle to weaken. We can improve heart function and treat heart failure by treating blockages with coronary angioplasty / CABG surgery.
Changes in food and lifestyle are frequently suggested in the treatment of heart failure. Some of the recommendations :Salt in the diet can induce increased fluid retention in the lungs and other parts of the body. As a result, salt restriction can aid in the management of heart failure symptoms. The standard advice is to avoid table salt, pickles, and namkeens. It's also crucial to consume enough water. Drinking less than 1.5 litres of liquids per day is recommended for people with severe heart failure. Water, milk, tea, curd, soups, and other fluids are all considered fluids. Weigh yourself on the same scale every day at the same time to keep track of your fluid levels. Weight gain is one symptom that you're retaining more fluid than you should.
Control your weight - Your heart has to work harder to give blood and oxygen to your body if you are overweight. You can benefit from losing weight and relieve your heart by not giving strain.
Limit alcohol consumption — drinking too much alcohol is bad for your heart, especially if you have heart failure.
Medications — there are a variety of medications that can help improve heart function, and they should be used in conjunction with lifestyle changes.
Cardiac Resynchronization therapy - If medications do not work than certain patients with heart failure may benefit from (CRT-P/CRT-D (Cardiac Resynchronization therapy) device. This works like a pacemaker where three wires go inside the heart and resynchronise heart contraction and leads to improvement in heart function.
Heart Transplantation - In patients who do not improve with treatment, made need either artificial heart (LVAD, Left Ventricular Assisst Device) or heart transplantation surgery.
