Heart failure sounds like the heart is no longer functioning and there is nothing that can be done – this is not true. However, Dr. Siva Kumar Reddy is the best heart doctor in Hyderabad and under his care, you can recover from heart failure and lead a longer life.
What Is Heart Failure?
Heart failure is a chronic health condition in which the heart muscle fails to pump enough blood to meet the body’s need for blood and oxygen. It is a serious health condition. But with proper healthcare, treatment, good diet and exercise, you can lead a more fulfilling life.
What Causes Heart Failure?
Since heart failure is a gradual defunctioning of heart, there can be many health conditions that may lead to it. You must stay aware if you have the following health conditions:
- Cardiomyopathy or weakness in heart muscle
- Congenital heart defect
- History of heart attack
- Heart valve disease
- Irregular heartbeat
- High BP
- Emphysema or damage in lungs
- Diabetes
If you have any of these conditions, make sure that you visit your cardiologist regularly to avoid heart failure.
What Are The Symptoms Of Heart Failure?
The symptoms of heart failure are not always loud. Sometimes, mild symptoms, which are often ignored, symbolises the onset of the condition. However, you must visit a doctor immediately if you experience the following symptoms:
- Breathlessness
- Weakness
- Swelling in abdomen, legs, feet, or ankles
- Irregular heartbeat
- Difficulty in exercising
- Persistent cough
- Blood in sputum
- Wheezing
- Frequent urination during the night
- Unexplained weight gain
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Chest pain
How Is Heart Failure Treated?
The treatment for heart failure is 3-fold – surgery, medicine, and diet.
Surgery: Surgery is generally required to treat heart failure. Usually, the immediate surgery is a small one wherein a medical device is inserted through your arm or nasal cavity that restores the functioning of the heart. But to keep the heart functioning a medical device like a pacemaker, CRT, ICD etc can be implanted.
But more very severest cases of heart failures, heart bypass surgery, heart valve surgery, or even a heart transplant becomes necessary.
Medicine: Any sort of surgical treatment is supported by medicines. Medicines will keep the infection at bay, make your blood thin or clot-free, lower cholesterol, keep blood pressure in check, and will also ensure the smooth functioning of the implanted medical device.
Can Heart Failure Be Prevented?
The key to preventing heart failure is to control the risk factors – high bp, high cholesterol, obesity. Naturally, a healthy diet (lots of fruits and vegetables), some regular exercise (at least 30 minutes), and good sleep can help you a long way. Abstain from smoking and abusing alcohol. In addition, if you have an existing heart condition, visit a heart expert regularly and intake the prescribed medicines religiously. The same habits are essential for leading a healthy life post heart failure.
Heart Failure Treatment
The advancements in medical science allow even a patient of heart failure to live longer and better. Dr. Siva Kumar Reddy prescribes the best treatment based on your condition. Under his care, you can recover from heart failure efficiently.