What to know about congestive heart disease? Well, when you hear the term “congestive heart disease”, it is normal to feel some fear, particularly if you are told that you or a loved one has it. It is, indeed, a serious condition. Luckily, if it is diagnosed on time, those who have it can still live a full and healthy life by managing the complications as much as possible.
What to Know About Congestive Heart Disease:
The heart’s role is to make sure blood is pumped to the lungs, where it picks up oxygen. It then returns to the heart, from where it sent through the blood vessels for the rest of the body to provide the needed oxygen. Congestive heart disease means that there is a problem somewhere in the heart; either that it cannot exert enough force, or that it can’t fill enough. When the heart doesn’t pump as it should, the rest of the body suffers because it means they cannot receive enough oxygenated blood.
Congestive heart disease can be caused by a variety of other conditions, including CAD (coronary artery disease), infections and diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, toxin exposure, damaged heart valves, cardiac arrhythmia, and living an unhealthy lifestyle. So what to know about congestive heart disease is that it is important to look after the heart.
In this country, some 5 million individuals have congestive heart disease. Each year, there are around 550,000 new diagnoses as well. This means that the condition is reasonably common. This is the case, particularly, in those over 65, although it can happen at any time. The effects of congestive heart disease can be devastating and many people live with it for a long time without being aware of it, which means they do not take the necessary steps to avoid the more serious complications either.
There are four stages of congestive heart disease. At each stage, the symptoms become a little worse and more devastating. Unfortunately, the condition cannot be cured either. Rather, treatment exists to avoid progression through the stages of the disease.
Symptoms of Congestive Heart Disease:
There are a number of known symptoms of congestive heart disease. Many of these symptoms can also be indicative of other illnesses, however, which means diagnosis can sometimes take quite a long time. At the same time, even having all of these symptoms together does not mean that you have congestive heart disease, but rather that you should seek medical attention. The main symptoms are:
- Shortness of breath, which is caused by a buildup of fluids in the lungs. Someone in the early stages may only experience shortness of breath while exercising, but this will progress to struggling to breathe even at rest.
- Fatigue, even after engaging in mild activities. Daily chores become more difficult to keep up with.
- Edema in the abdomen, legs, or ankles, which is caused by fluid retention.
- Chest pain, decrease levels of alertness, and persistent cough.
It is important to be aware of these symptoms so that you can get the help you need on time.
