Heart failure is a long-term condition that often gets worse over a period of time which can’t be cured. Many people can have a good quality of life with proper treatment and lifestyle changes. Heart failure is most common in older people and can occur at any age. Heart failure means that your heart is not pumping blood around your body as effectively as it should. Having heart failure doesn’t mean that your heart has stopped working, but that your heart needs some support to help it work better.
The best way to deal with cardiac emergencies is by going for a CPR class Cincinnati. The techniques comprise of chest compressions and rescue breaths and proper application can revive the life of a victim involved in a cardiac emergency. If you are a resident of the Cincinnati region in Ohio, you can sign up for a program at the AHA certified CPR Cincinnati where at the end of the training classes, a student will be eligible for a certification after successfully passing a skills test and a written exam.
Symptoms of Heart Failure:
Symptoms occur because the heart is not able to pump blood around the body efficiently. This can lead to a build-up of fluid that backs up into the lungs, which causes breathlessness. Also because the heart is not pumping properly it can cause fluid retention, leading to swelling in the legs, ankles, feet or in the small of the back or abdomen.
The main symptoms are:
I. Shortness of breath when you are being active or at rest.
II. Swollen feet, ankles, stomach and around the lower back area.
III. Feeling unusually tired or weak.
Causes of Heart Failure:
Heart failure development can be attributed to a number of reasons, which can be sudden or it can happen slowly over months or even years with the most common causes being:
A heart attack – this can cause long-term damage to the heart, which can affect how well the heart can pump.
High blood pressure - this can put extra strain on the heart, which over time can lead to heart failure.
Cardiomyopathy - a disease of the heart muscle. There are different types which can either be inherited or caused by other things, such as viral infections.
Heart failure can also be caused by:
I. Damaged or diseased heart valves
II. An abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
III. Congenital heart conditions – heart problems that one is born with
IV. A viral infection affecting the heart muscle
V. Some cancer treatments such as chemotherapy
VI. Excessive alcohol consumption
VII. Anemia – a lack of oxygen carrying hemoglobin or red blood cells in the blood
VIII. Thyroid gland disease.
You can keep your heart healthy by making a few lifestyle changes that includes:
I. Maintain a proper body weight
II. Control your blood pressure
III. Cut down on your salt intake
IV. Watch the amount of fluid that you have each day
V. Quit smoking
VI. Limit your alcohol consumption
VII. Be physically active
Hope we have been successful in raising your awareness about heart failure.
Go ahead and register for a CPR class Cincinnati at CPR Cincinnati and equip yourself in handling cardiac emergencies efficiently. For more information, call on 513-828-3488.
Comments
Post a Comment