Some people with heart failure wake up in the middle of the night with severe shortness of breath. The medical term for this symptom is paroxysmal nocturnal dyspneaParoxysmal nocturnal dyspnea or paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea (PND) is an attack of severe shortness of breath and coughing that generally occurs at night. It usually awakens the person from sleep, and may be quite frightening.https://en.wikipedia.org › Paroxysmal_nocturnal_dyspnoea
A study published in May 2021 in Nursing Reports found that over 75 percent of patients with heart failure experience sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia, waking up throughout the night, and restless legs syndrome, which can steal opportunities for peaceful slumber.
Heart Failure Causes Sleep Problems
For example: Chest pain and discomfort make it hard to relax and fall or stay asleep. Lying in bed can make you feel short of breath. You may have to get up during the night to pee.
As many as 73% of people with chronic heart failure (HF) report poor sleep quality,2–9 and many have poor sleep continuity. Insomnia symptoms are also common.
Sleep apnea.
The inability to breathe properly while you sleep results in low blood-oxygen levels and an increased risk of irregular heartbeats. Both of these problems can weaken the heart.
In the final stages of heart failure, people feel breathless both during activity and at rest. Persistent coughing or wheezing. This may produce white or pink mucus. The cough may be worse at night or when lying down.
Symptoms can develop quickly (acute heart failure) or gradually over weeks or months (chronic heart failure).
As your heart works overtime, it can cause tiredness, shortness of breath and a feeling of being simply worn out. Such are the signs of fatigue, one of the most common symptoms of congestive heart failure.
Some people with heart failure wake up in the middle of the night with severe shortness of breath. The medical term for this symptom is paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND). This may occur with waking up coughing and/or wheezing, having a rapid heart rate, and a feeling of being suffocated.
Conclusions: Patients with CHF who develop CSR experience excessive daytime sleepiness due to sleep disruption. This should be considered the clinical evaluation of these patients' daytime complaints.
One study says that people with heart failure have a life span 10 years shorter than those who don't have heart failure. Another study showed that the survival rates of people with chronic heart failure were 80% to 90% for one year, but that dropped to 50% to 60% for year five and down to 30% for 10 years.
There's no cure for heart failure. Treatment aims to relieve symptoms and slow further damage. TheI exact plan depends on the stage and type of heart failure, underlying conditions and the individual patient.
People with heart failure feel better when they stay active. Years ago, patients were told to rest and give up activities. But, now, research shows that normal activity is safe for most people with heart failure. Being active may help relieve your symptoms.
Heart palpitations at night usually aren't harmful. Many factors, including alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, stress or hormones can cause them. Less often, they result from a health condition such as heart disease or a thyroid disorder.
The most common symptoms of heart failure are: breathlessness – this may occur after activity or at rest; it may be worse when you're lying down, and you may wake up at night needing to catch your breath.
The researchers point out that the circadian clock (the body's internal 24-hour cycle) is known to influence a number of cardiovascular factors, including blood pressure and heart rate, and that heart attacks peak in incidence during the early morning hours.
Chest pain: The increased pressure and strain on your heart can cause chest pain. Fainting: During heart failure, you're unable to pump enough oxygen-rich blood to your brain, which may cause fainting. Panting or wheezing: If your lungs are congested with fluid, it may become challenging to take a deep breath.
Tests for heart failure
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.
Shortness of breath (also called dyspnea)
You often complain of waking up tired or feeling anxious and restless. Blood "backs up" in the pulmonary veins (the vessels that return blood from the lungs to the heart) because the heart can't keep up with the supply.
Patients may feel a fluttering in the heart (palpitations) or a heartbeat that seems irregular or out of rhythm. This often is described as a pounding or racing sensation in the chest. Lack of Appetite or Nausea When the liver and digestive system become congested they fail to receive a normal supply of blood.
Bradycardia can be a serious problem if the heart rate is very slow and the heart can't pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body. If this happens, you may feel dizzy, very tired or weak, and short of breath. Sometimes bradycardia doesn't cause symptoms or complications.
Fatigue and Activity Changes
The easiest way to know that heart failure is getting worse is you're able to do less and less. People start pacing themselves. They stop doing hobbies that involve any physical activity. They used to go fishing, but not anymore.
In general, more than half of all people diagnosed with congestive heart failure will survive for 5 years. About 35% will survive for 10 years. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic, progressive condition that affects the heart's ability to pump blood around the body.
Often, you can control heart failure by taking medicine, changing your lifestyle, and treating the condition that caused it. Heart failure can suddenly get worse due to: Ischemia (lack of blood flow to the heart muscle) Eating high-salt foods.