Chronic heart failure, sometimes known as congestive heart failure, has a high risk, but your healthcare team can help you manage its symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Chronic heart failure results from damage, weakness, or inability of the heart muscle, preventing it from performing its normal function as a blood pump.
When the heart is damaged, its healing process is impossible.
This damage can be caused by a heart attack, high blood pressure for a long time, diabetes, or other heart conditions. It can also arise from cardiomyopathy.
Chronic heart failure leads to fluid buildup in the body, accompanied by a feeling of weakness and fatigue.
The patient may suffer from shortness of breath, swelling in the abdomen, ankles, or legs, as well as weight gain, loss of appetite, feeling dizzy or persistent coughing.
Treatments for this disease include taking medication for a long period and using medical devices such as a pacemaker or defibrillator. In some special cases, a heart transplant may be performed.
It is important to monitor the symptoms continuously and to see the doctor in the following cases:
the patient’s shortness of breath worsens, his weight increased by 2 kilograms within two days, the inability to lie down, the cough intensified at night, and the increase in swelling or pain in the chest. You should measure your weight regularly to monitor the amount of fluid accumulated.
It is necessary to change your lifestyle to control and manage chronic heart failure. You should not consume more than a liter and a half of fluids per day, and be sure to reduce the amount of salt consumed to avoid retaining more fluid in your body.
Do not smoke: Smoking lowers the amount of oxygen in the blood and contributes to the appearance of accumulations that narrow the arteries and make the function of the heart more difficult.
You should eat more vegetables and fruits and reduce the consumption of saturated fats and trans fats while limiting the amount of caffeine and soft drinks.
Do physical exercise on the advice of your physician.