Heart Failure

Based on how the heart is affected, heart failure can be classified as follows:

• Left-sided heart failure: The left side cannot pump blood effectively to the body.
• Right-sided heart failure: The right side cannot pump blood effectively to the lungs.
• Systolic dysfunction: The heart has trouble pumping blood out.
• Diastolic dysfunction: The heart has trouble filling with blood.

Patients with heart failure commonly exhibit the following symptoms:

• Breathlessness (during activity, rest, or sleep)
• Tiredness or weakness
• Swelling in certain parts of the body, like the feet, legs, arms, and stomach
• Less common symptoms: stomach fullness, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, confusion, and blacking-out/fainting 

Heart failure is caused by a variety of factors:

• High blood pressure
• Heart problems
  • Valve defects
  • Rhythm disorder
  • Heart muscle defects
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Other disorders of the heart
• Lung problems
• Poor blood supply to the lungs
• Asthma, bronchitis, or obstructed airways
• High blood pressure in the lungs
• Lifestyle factors
  • Failure to take preventive medication
  • Diet (excessive salt and fluid intake)
  • Alcohol and drug misuse
  • Smoking
• Other medical conditions
  • Anaemia
  • Kidney diseases
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
  • Thyroid disorders

The tests commonly used to confirm and assess heart failure include:

• Collection of complete medical history and clinical examination
• ECG (Electrocardiogram)
• Echocardiography
• Blood tests: These measure the levels of specific protein markers released by the heart in response to stresses. 
• Measurement of the ejection fraction (EF): The EF indicates how much blood the left side of the heart pumps out with each beat (normal EF: 55%–70%).

Heart failure is commonly treated using the following methods:

• Medications to improve heart function and alleviate symptoms.
• Lifestyle changes such as reducing salt intake, limiting fluid intake, avoiding alcohol/smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight.
• Device-based therapy or surgery (for selected patients).
• Hospital care with IV medications (for severe cases).

Treatment is essential to:

• Prevent heart failure symptoms from getting worse, which would require hospital admission for IV medications
• Improve your ability to perform daily activities
• Prevent worsening of the condition

Seek medical attention if you experience:

• Sudden or worsening breathlessness
• Unexplained swelling of feet, legs, or stomach
• Dizziness, fainting, or confusion
• Rapid weight gain (fluid retention)
• Chest pain or irregular heartbeat

Experts recommend the following steps for preventing heart failure:

• Managing high blood pressure, diabetes, and thyroid problems.
• Maintaining a heart-healthy diet (low-salt diet and balanced nutrition).
• Avoiding smoking, alcohol, and recreational drugs.
• Exercising regularly as recommended by your doctor.

Ideally, patients with heart failure are advised to visit the following healthcare professionals:

• Cardiologist (heart specialist): Primary doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
• Pulmonologist (lung specialist), endocrinologist (hormonal disease specialist), or nephrologist (kidney specialist): These specialists may also be involved based on the effects of the heart failure on other organ systems.