Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure doesn’t mean your heart is on the verge of failure, but it can become that serious if you don’t recognize the symptoms and seek treatment as soon as possible. At Genesis Personal Healthcare Medicine in New York City, our team is well-versed in developing aggressive treatment plans to keep you active and healthy, so call the office to schedule a telehealth consultation or request an appointment online today. 

What is congestive heart failure?

When congestive heart failure is diagnosed, the heart is still pumping -- and not about to immediately fail -- but it can’t pump well enough to send enough oxygen-rich blood throughout your body in a normal manner.

Heart failure develops when the heart has been damaged. As a result, it either can’t fill up with sufficient blood or it can’t contract strongly enough to pump all the blood out. Early treatment to manage the condition is essential because heart failure can’t be cured, and it gets progressively worse over time.

What causes congestive heart failure?

A variety of conditions can damage the heart muscle and lead to congestive heart failure, including:

• Coronary artery disease
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Other heart conditions: arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, heart valve disease
• Thyroid disorders
• Treatments for cancer
• HIV/AIDS
• Alcohol or drug abuse

What are the symptoms of congetstive heart failure?

Heart failure is a serious health condition that needs immediate and ongoing care to slow down its progression. Please don’t wait to contact Genesis Personal Healthcare Medicine when you begin to notice symptoms.

The most common symptoms are caused by a buildup of fluid in your body:

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, and veins in the neck

You may also develop:

• Chronic cough
• Nausea or lack of appetite
• Confusion
• Increased heart rate

At the start, you may feel tired and short of breath with normal activities, like climbing stairs. As heart failure gets worse, you may not be able to walk across the room without feeling winded.

How is heart failure treated?

Heart failure can’t be cured, but it can be properly managed. Medications are important for treating symptoms, slowing progression, and helping you stay healthy. Diverse types of medicines are available, and each class has a different effect, so your prescriptions will be matched to the severity of your disease.

Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and quitting smoking, will improve your heart’s function. Tracking symptoms is also important, so that your treatment plan can be adjusted as soon as symptoms worsen. Since heart failure progresses slowly, symptoms can sneak up on you, so try to pay attention to subtle changes in your ability to complete daily activities or changes in your body, such as weight gain.

If you’re concerned about your heart health, call Genesis Personal Healthcare Medicine or request a telehealth appointment online today.