Heart failure is a complicated disease that affects different people in different ways. This explains why heart failure patients should stick to a treatment procedure that suits their specific needs. Heart failure does not mean it will no longer work; this condition can be treated before it scales to severity. Keeping yourself healthy and visiting your doctor ensures that you live a long life. Your Upper East Side heart failure specialists are trained and experienced in dealing with this life-threatening condition. They offer a caring environment to ensure that your heart problems are solved.
How is heart failure diagnosed?
When you visit your doctor for heart failure, they will conduct a thorough test such as your medical conditions, medication, family history, your symptoms, and other tests. Your doctor will also check for any presence of conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and other risk factors.
The specialist can check if there is an obstruction in the lungs. This will also identify any abnormality in the heart that may indicate heart failure. Other checks your doctor will conduct include examining the veins around the neck and checking if there is an accumulation of fluid in the legs and abdomen. After this, your doctor may recommend tests such as blood tests, X-ray of the chest, cardiac computerized tomography, echocardiogram, Magnetic resonance imaging, stress, and electrocardiogram.
How do I know I have heart failure?
Heart failure occurs when the heart becomes malfunctioning when it is impaired and it fails to pump blood appropriately. To help you identify the signs of heart failure, here are the symptoms you should be careful when you experience:
When the heart malfunctions, it fails to pump oxygenated blood effectively to provide for the body’s energy, which results in weariness.
Reduced activity: Because of weariness, there is reduced activity, and patients normally feel unable to breathe.
Breathing difficulty: Results from congestion in the lungs due to the accumulation of fluids. In this case, you may hear abnormal sounds such as wheezing while breathing.
Swollen ankles: This is also known as edema; when the heart fails to pump blood effectively, it results in the build-up of fluids in the lower extremities, such as the legs.
Reduced appetite
Pain in the chest
These signs do not indicate that you have heart failure, but they are warning signs that you should see your doctor.
What are the treatment options for heart failure?
The treatment of heart failure varies depending on its intensity. Early diagnosis and treatment prevent further complications. It is recommended that you see your doctor for treatment to prevent risks. When you visit your doctor, the following are the treatment options that are available depending on your needs:
Medicine is usually used to treat and prevent heart diseases at their initial stages.
Surgery may be done when there is a blocked artery to ensure a normal flow of blood. A heart transplant may be done when all the other methods are disappointing.
Heart failure is a condition that needs continuous treatment to avoid risks. This disease can affect you at any age, and therefore it is important to keep healthy and regularly visit the specialist as this ensures lifelong health.