Understanding heart failure: a patient's guide | Top Doctors (2024)

FAQs

What are three things that can worsen heart failure and why? ›

Factors that can worsen symptoms of heart failure

anaemia (a condition where the blood doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells) too much salt, fluid, or alcohol in your diet. pregnancy. some viral and bacterial infections.

It causes fluid to build up in the body, which produces many of these symptoms: Shortness of breath (dyspnea). In the final stages of heart failure, people feel breathless both during activity and at rest. Persistent coughing or wheezing.

Heart failure symptoms may include: Shortness of breath with activity or when lying down. Fatigue and weakness. Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet.

Average life expectancy for people with heart failure is based on data collected from large groups of people over time. Other factors that affect life expectancy include: Age: The five-year survival rate for people under 65 is around 79%, while the rate is about 50% for those 75 and over.

It's important to avoid exercise that involves heavy weight-lifting, or holding your breath. Don't do any exercises that use your whole body as a weight, such as press-ups or planks. And be careful if you're getting in the pool. “You can work a lot harder when you're swimming than you realise,” says Ms Eriksen.

Approximately 90% of heart failure patients die from cardiovascular causes. Fifty per cent die from progressive heart failure, and the remainder die suddenly from arrhythmias and ischaemic events.

Although heart failure is a serious condition that gets progressively worse over time, certain cases can be reversed with treatment. Even when the heart muscle is damaged, there are several treatments that can relieve symptoms and stop or slow them.

Research estimates that more than half of all people with congestive heart failure will survive for 5 years after diagnosis. About 35% will survive for 10 years. However, in some cases, a person can extend their life expectancy through lifestyle changes, medications, and surgery.

If you've been diagnosed with stage one of congestive heart failure, it is because a doctor has noticed a weakness in your heart. This news may be surprising, as stage one of CHF does not exhibit any symptoms.

Do you pee a lot with heart failure? ›

If you cough a lot, often feel weak, have lost your appetite, and need to urinate a lot at night, you might have symptoms of heart failure. Heart failure is a long-term condition that usually comes on slowly.

Stages of heart failure

class 1 – you don't have any symptoms during normal physical activity. class 2 – you're comfortable at rest, but normal physical activity triggers symptoms. class 3 – you're comfortable at rest, but minor physical activity triggers symptoms.

Unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as an unhealthy diet, smoking, using cocaine or other illegal drugs, heavy alcohol use, and lack of physical activity, increase your risk of heart failure. Heart or blood vessel conditions, serious lung disease, or infections such as HIV or SARS-CoV-2 raise your risk.

Heart failure can suddenly get worse due to: Ischemia (lack of blood flow to the heart muscle) Eating high-salt foods. Heart attack.

Sodium causes your body to hold on to extra water. This may cause your heart failure symptoms to get worse. People get most of their sodium from processed foods. Fast food and restaurant meals also tend to be very high in sodium.