Heart Failure Guidelines

       These days, heart failures have become so common in any age group that it has become important for every individual to maintain the heart failure guidelines. Heart failure is not heart attack or cardiac arrest. Though in our everyday life we refer any kind of heart related disorder as heart attack, but in medical terminology they are independent and different. Heart failure is also called cardiac failure. In case of cardiac failure, your heart loses its ability to pump the blood to fulfill the requirements of your body due to some functional imparity. Also, cardiomyopathy is a problem related to the infection of muscles of heart which may, in certain cases, result in heart failure, but it is not same as heart failure or definitely not heart attack. In case of heart attack, there is a blockage in the coronary artery of the heart while when someone is diagnosed with cardiac arrest or asystole, there is absence of any cardiac output. In case patient is not given immediate medical attention, he or she might die.

Heart failure symptoms are broadly divided into two categories- left-sided and right-sided symptoms. But the fact is that there is a very thin line difference making the diagnosis very difficult. Especially when the right-sided symptom is the cause of left -sided and thus patient comes with overlapping signs. In case of left-sided failure, the problem is respiration related. It is marked with shortness of breath, crackles heard in the lungs, even galloping heart beat sounds which occurs when the heart is enlarged.
The right-sided heart failure symptoms include swollen ankles, ascites and hepatomegaly. Often there is a third case of biventricular failure where fluid is accumulated between the walls of lungs and heart. This can independently occur in case of right-sided or left-sided failure but when the fluid is drained into both pulmonary and systematic venous system through pleural veins, it causes biventricular failure. Medical science has developed a great deal. Today with the help of medicines, surgeries and devices, chronic heart failure treatment has become easily available as well as reasonable. But it is always better to preventive so that you do not undergo the trauma of this treatment. A disciplined way of life can do a wonder to your well being. Recovery is pretty fast if the diet is maintained properly. Low cholesterol low calorie food with regular walks can expedite the process of your recovery. First condition is obviously to quit smoking if the patient had been a regular smoker. Losing weight, no alcohol, reducing caffeine intake, being more physically active etc are the other important factors that help in fast recovery. Stress hampers the health putting additional exertion on the heart muscles, so stress management can play an important role in regaining the health of your heart. You have every reason to be concerned about your heart. Every 34 seconds, someone dies in US of heart failure.
Approximately one in every 56 people has suffered heart failure. Therefore, remember the heart failure guidelines and live a disciplined, healthy, caffeine-nicotine-alcohol-cholesterol free life.