If you wake up feeling not refreshed, you have daytime sleepiness or if you need to curtail your daytime activity because of lack of energy, these could be signs your heart failure isn't being managed as well as it could be, Dr. Freeman says.
HEART FAILURE (HF) IS A DISABLING CHRONIC CONDITION THAT AFFLICTS OVER 5 MILLION AMERICANS1 AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH DECREMENTS IN functional performance, depression, excessive daytime sleepiness, and fatigue.
Having heart failure means you're likely to have other health issues, including sleep problems. Likewise, sleep problems, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and insomnia, can make your heart failure symptoms worse. A good night's sleep is important, whether your heart is healthy or not.
Warning signs of worsening heart failure
Swelling or pain in the abdomen. Shortness of breath not related to exercise. Discomfort or trouble breathing when lying flat. Waking up short of breath.
About half of people who develop heart failure die within 5 years of diagnosis. 3. Most people with end-stage heart failure have a life expectancy of less than 1 year.
Patients are considered to be in the terminal end stage of heart disease when they have a life expectancy of six months or less. Only a doctor can make a clinical determination of congestive heart failure life expectancy.
Several pathophysiological mechanisms (e.g. coronary thrombotic ischaemic event, hormone-electrolyte imbalances) can trigger sudden death, but most commonly, cardiac arrest results from acute electrical or mechanical failure in remodelled and fibrotic ventricle.
Treatment often includes lifestyle changes and medicines. If another health condition is causing the heart to fail, treating it may reverse heart failure. Some people with heart failure need surgery to open blocked arteries or to place a device to help the heart work better.
Although heart failure is a serious condition that progressively gets worse over time, certain cases can be reversed with treatment. Even when the heart muscle is impaired, there are a number of treatments that can relieve symptoms and stop or slow the gradual worsening of the condition.
Keeping your heart healthy includes regular exercise, healthful eating, weight management and not smoking. Medical therapies play an important role in addressing the underlying medical conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
People with more severe heart failure might experience breathlessness when resting and may notice that this gets worse when they lie flat. During the night, you may wake and feel an urgent need to sit up and get a breath in. A cough and a frothy spit can also accompany the breathlessness.
Getting good sleep isn't just important for your energy levels—it's critical for your heart health, too.
Getting the right amount of sleep is an essential component of good heart and brain health. The American Heart Association recommends 7-9 hours of sleep per night, but sleep disorders can make it difficult to get a healthy amount of sleep.
Tests you may have to diagnose heart failure include: blood tests – to check whether there's anything in your blood that might indicate heart failure or another illness. an electrocardiogram (ECG) – this records the electrical activity of your heart to check for problems.
Chronic heart failure is a long-term condition for which there's currently no cure. However, with medication, many people are able to maintain a reasonable quality of life.
In general, about half of all people diagnosed with congestive heart failure will survive 5 years. About 30% will survive for 10 years. In patients who receive a heart transplant, about 21% of patients are alive 20 years later.
You can strengthen your heart after heart failure by making recommended changes to your diet, exercising regularly, and adopting healthy habits. These lifestyle changes can help: Eating a heart-healthy diet. Being physically active.
Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should. Blood often backs up and causes fluid to build up in the lungs and in the legs. The fluid buildup can cause shortness of breath and swelling of the legs and feet. Poor blood flow may cause the skin to appear blue or gray.
Heart failure is common in both men and women, although men often develop heart failure at a younger age than women. Women more commonly have heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which is when the heart does not fill with enough blood.
Left-sided heart failure occurs when the left ventricle of the heart is weakened and cannot as efficiently pump blood into the body. As a result of the diminished ejection fraction, fluid can flow back into the lungs and put additional stress on the right side of the heart. This can lead to right-sided heart failure.
It can happen suddenly or it can progress slowly over months or years. The most common causes of heart failure are: a heart attack - this can cause long-term damage to your heart, affecting how your heart can pump blood.
Your doctor will usually suggest oxygen therapy when heart failure causes very low levels of oxygen. But if your levels are closer to normal, it's more of a gray area. In this case, recent studies seem to show that oxygen therapy may be harmful because you get too much oxygen.
Drugs That Help
Different ones do different things. The most common ones for people with heart failure are ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and beta-blockers. Your doctor may switch you to a new drug or change your dose. They might pair this medication with a drug called a diuretic.