The heart muscle can be damaged by certain infections, heavy alcohol use, illegal drug use and some chemotherapy medicines. Your genes also can play a role. Any of the following conditions also can damage or weaken the heart and cause heart failure. Coronary artery disease and heart attack.
Smoke from cigarettes, cigars, and pipes is as bad for the heart and arteries as it is for the lungs. If you smoke, quitting is the biggest gift of health you can give yourself. Secondhand smoke is also toxic, so avoid it whenever possible.
Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure and chest discomfort (angina) Shortness of breath. Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper belly area or back. Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in the legs or arms if the blood vessels in those body areas are narrowed.
You may have trouble breathing, an irregular heartbeat, swollen legs, neck veins that stick out, and sounds from fluid built up in your lungs. Your doctor will check for these and other signs of heart failure. A test called an echocardiogram is often the best test to diagnose your heart failure.
Cardiomyopathy is the medical term for a weak heart muscle. With this diagnosis, it is important to find out what is causing it to begin treatment immediately.
Stage I is considered “pre-heart failure.” High-risk individuals include patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and coronary artery disease. A family history of alcohol abuse, rheumatic fever, cardiotoxic drug therapy, or cardiomyopathy can increase your risk.
Tests for heart failure
an electrocardiogram (ECG) – this records the electrical activity of your heart to check for problems. an echocardiogram – a type of ultrasound scan where sound waves are used to examine your heart.
Heart failure usually begins with the lower left heart chamber, called the left ventricle. This is the heart's main pumping chamber. But heart failure also can affect the right side.
Electrocardiogram. An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart. The ECG reflects what's happening in different areas of the heart and helps identify any problems with the rhythm or rate of your heart. The ECG is painless and takes around 5-10 minutes to perform.
Having normal blood pressure is a sign of a healthy heart. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg. High blood pressure is a systolic pressure of 130 or higher, or diastolic pressure of 90 or higher, that stays high over time.
Coronary artery disease, also called coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease, is the most common type of heart disease, but there are many other conditions that affect the heart. Acute coronary syndrome is a term that includes heart attack and unstable angina.
A number of drugs also have a cardiotoxic effect, such as the chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (a pyrimidine analogue), anthracycline antibiotics, fenfluramine, etc. Other "cardiac poisons" include, for example, mercury or cocaine.
An ECG can help detect: arrhythmias – where the heart beats too slowly, too quickly, or irregularly. coronary heart disease – where the heart's blood supply is blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances. heart attacks – where the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked.
Normal ECG values for waves and intervals are as follows: RR interval: 0.6-1.2 seconds. P wave: 80 milliseconds. PR interval: 120-200 milliseconds.
Heart failure has no cure. But treatment can help you live a longer, more active life with fewer symptoms. Treatment depends on the type of heart failure you have and how serious it is.
While heart failure cannot be cured, people do learn to live active, healthy lives by managing their heart failure with medication, changes in their diet, weighing daily and physical activity.
Stage 4 of Congestive Heart Failure
Stage four of congestive heart failure produces severe symptoms such as rapid breathing, chest pain, skin that appears blue, or fainting. These symptoms may occur whether you are exercising or at rest. In this stage, your doctor will discuss if surgery is beneficial.
Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week without increasing their risk of heart disease. Some studies have shown that this level of egg consumption might even help prevent certain types of stroke and a serious eye condition called macular degeneration that can lead to blindness.
The Heart Foundation recommends that milk, yoghurt and cheese can be eaten as part of a heart-healthy diet, but most of the fat in the diet should come from fish, nuts and seeds, and healthy oils. Choosing unflavoured milk, yoghurt, and cheese also helps limit the amount of added sugar in your diet.