Describes heart failure (congestive heart failure). Discusses common causes like hypertension and coronary artery disease. Has info on symptoms. Covers diagnostic tests and treatments. Discusses heart failure classification system and stages of CHF.
Describes heart failure (congestive heart failure). Discusses common causes like hypertension and coronary artery disease. Has info on symptoms. Covers diagnostic tests and treatments. Discusses heart failure classification system and stages of CHF.
Heart failure means that your heart muscle doesn't pump as much blood as your body needs. In time, this causes fluid to build up in your body, and you have symptoms like swelling in the legs and feeling out of breath and weak. Heart failure usually gets worse over time. But treatment can slow the disease, help you feel...
Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle does not pump as much blood as the body needs. Failure does not mean that the heart has stopped pumping but rather that it is failing to pump as effectively as it should. The body tries to compensate for the heart's reduced pumping ability by: Holding on to (retaining) salt and...
Sex is part of a healthy life and is part of your quality of life. Most people with heart failure can still have an active sex life. You can ask your doctor to help you know if or when it's okay for you to have sex. If you or your partner is worried about having sex, talk with your doctor about your concerns. Your...
Even if you are treating your heart failure successfully, you may develop a complication that can be serious and life-threatening. It is important to identify complications of heart failure as soon as possible, because some can be extremely serious conditions. You can discuss your complications with your doctor and...
A heart failure action plan gives you an easy way to check your symptoms and see changes. The plan also tells you when you need to get help. Your doctor may give you a plan, or you might create one together. You'll use your plan every day. It takes the guesswork out of knowing when symptoms mean you should call your...
The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association have devised a classification system for heart failure. It categorizes heart failure based on how the disease progresses in most people. Under this system, heart failure is classified by stages A through D. Stages of heart failure Stage Definition...
Heart failure means that your heart muscle does not pump as much blood as your body needs. Failure doesn't mean that your heart has stopped. It means that your heart is not pumping as well as it should. There is more than one type of heart failure, so you might hear your doctor call it different names. The types are...
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a type of heart failure. It happens when the heart's lower left chamber (left ventricle) pumps out less blood than the body needs. It's sometimes called diastolic heart failure. This is because your left ventricle is not able to fill properly with blood during...
Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a type of heart failure. It happens when the heart's lower left chamber (left ventricle) doesn't pump blood out to the body as well as it should. It's sometimes called systolic heart failure. This is because your left ventricle doesn't squeeze forcefully enough...
Covers how exercise can improve health when you have heart failure. Explains importance of working with your doctor to create a plan for safe exercise. Includes tips for staying safe during activity, staying motivated, and getting support for being active.
If you have heart failure, it is important that you do as much as possible to avoid catching colds, the flu, and other respiratory infections. Although these may be relatively minor illnesses in healthy people, they are more dangerous if you have heart failure, and you are at higher risk for dangerous complications...
Some medicines can affect your heart and make your heart failure worse. Others may keep your heart failure medicines from working right. So it's important to be careful with medicines. These include NSAID pain relievers and medicines that speed up the heart rate. Over-the-counter medicines that you may need to avoid...
Lists triggers that lead to congestive heart failure: too much salt, too much exercise, and taking medicines wrong. Encourages staying with diet, medicine, and exercise plan.
Learn how exercise is good for your heart and how to be active and safe.
Discusses importance of tracking weight for those with heart failure. Covers how to check your weight when you have heart failure.
Understand how daily weight checks help you avoid heart failure emergencies.
Heart failure means that your heart muscle doesn't pump as much blood as your body needs. Because your heart can't pump well, your heart and your body try to make up for it. This is called compensation. Your body has a remarkable ability to compensate for heart failure. The body may do such a good job that many people...
Many hospitals and insurers have developed disease management (DM) programs to educate people who have heart failure about their disease. Disease management includes a broad range of health services, such as home health care, visiting nurses, and rehabilitation. The goal of DM programs is to offer a combination of...
Why is diet important for heart failure? Diet is critical in the treatment of heart failure. Limiting sodium is typically recommended to limit fluid build-up. But some other nutrients or substances also play a role as well. Heart failure can become more severe if diet and medicine recommendations for heart failure are...
Learn the definition of heart failure.
Learn how to reach out to family or friends for support when you have heart failure.
Learn how checking your symptoms every day helps you manage your heart failure.
While there are certain symptoms that people with heart failure experience more commonly, there are many other symptoms that heart failure can cause. These symptoms are typically less common because they often result from more severe heart failure, when the body can no longer compensate properly for the failing heart...
Learn tips for limiting fluids—if your doctor has asked you to—when you have heart failure.
Learn how sodium affects heart failure symptoms and get tips for low-sodium meals.
Learn why your daily care plan is so important for managing your heart failure.
Learn which medicines could make your heart failure worse.
Learn how to start tracking the sodium in all the foods and drinks you have each day.
