Mrs. Esperanza thought, “Oh, how tired and weak I feel today.” She noticed that the simple fact of going outside to water the flowers caused her to need to sit down to rest. She was short of breath with a cough. Her feet were very swollen. “I’ll go to the doctor,” she thought.
Mrs. Esperanza is a 65-year-old diabetic woman with high blood pressure who has smoked her whole life. During her exam her pulses were fast and irregular, her lungs were congested, she had a cough, and her legs were swollen. She had increased 20 pounds from the previous week.Her vitals show her pressure is very high. X-rays demonstrate that her heart is much larger than normal. She is admitted to the hospital for more extensive studies and treatments.
What is Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)?
Normally the strong muscular heart walls squeeze and relax to pump blood, supplying the body and organs with oxygen. But with CHF the heart muscle slowly weakens and loses its ability to pump blood. The heart is unable to pump enough blood for the body’s needs.
CHF is very common and in the US nearly six million people are diagnosed with it
What causes CHF?
Diseases that damage the heart can increase your risk of developing HF. Among them:
- Coronary heart disease (the most common kind of heart disease)
- Heart attacks
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Eating foods that are high in salt, fat, and cholesterol
- Not getting enough physical activity
- Being overweight
What Are the Symptoms of Heart Failure?
Symptoms include:
- Congested lungs – present as cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing when laying down.
- Fluid retention – presents as swollen ankles, swollen abdomen, and rapid weight gain.
- Fatigue, dizziness, and weakness.
- Irregular pulses.
Mrs. Esperanza is discharged after spending a week in the hospital. She leaves with medicines to control her high blood pressure, her irregular heartbeats and a diuretic to remove the liquid retained. Of course she is told to stop smoking and control her diet and diabetes. Tests and treatments are extensive and will not be presented here. The prognosis is very variable and depends on the classification of Congestive Heart Failure and that Doña Esperanza follow all the recommendations.
Remember that your health is in your control. Make wise and healthy choices. Until the next time.