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A Weary Heart
By Dianne Hart Pettis,
CRNP
The Truth Contributor
What do you do if you
notice a strange symptom? Do you wait and see if it happens
again? Do you Google it? Or do you go into denial and
pretend it didn’t happen?
What if more
strange physical symptoms pop up, with increasing
frequency? Unfortunately, when it comes to heart symptoms;
we tend to decide that it was all in our imagination. Signs
of an ill heart don’t give us clues that you can readily see
or feel until there has been significant damage.
Our hearts are meant
to beat steadily for a good long time - beats created by
healthy valves and strong muscles. Heart failure, or
congestive heart failure as it is often called, occurs when
the heart is not effective at pumping blood throughout the
body. The heart is either too weak, or too stiff to pump.
Noticeable symptoms (NOT to be ignored) are:
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Shortness of breath with exertion or when lying down
·
Sudden, severe shortness of breath plus coughing up pink,
foamy mucous
·
Persistent wheezing or coughing up white or blood-tinged
mucous
·
Swelling of legs, ankles, and feet
·
Swelling of abdomen
·
Sudden weight gain/sudden change in clothes size
·
Decreased ability to exercise, fatigue, and weakness
·
Rapid or irregular heartbeat
·
Chest pain
·
Increase in need to urinate at night
·
Nausea and decreased appetite
·
Decrease in alertness or ability to concentrate
The four main types
of heart failure account for these symptoms: Left-sided
heart failure, Right-sided heart failure, Systolic heart
failure, and Diastolic heart failure.
In Left-sided heart
failure, blood and fluid backs up into the lungs, causing
the shortness of breath and other respiratory problems.
Right-sided heart failure causes blood and fluid to back up
into the abdomen, legs, and feet.
In Systolic heart
failure, the left ventricle (the left lower chamber of the
heart) can’t contract as vigorously as it should to
adequately pump blood throughout the body. In Diastolic
heart failure, the ventricle can’t fully relax to allow the
chamber to fill with blood to be ready to be pumped out
again.
Heart failure happens
after other acute or chronic health conditions have damaged
or weakened the heart or valves. Some chronic conditions can
also cause the heart muscle to become too stiff or enlarged.
The heart is a very strong muscle, but if continued extra
wear and tear occurs, like high blood pressure, clogged
arteries, obesity, heart attacks, and faulty heart valves;
then the heart becomes too damaged to work properly.
Chronic diseases, such as Diabetes, HIV, and thyroid disease
also contribute to heart damage.
Not all conditions
causing heart failure can be reversed; but they can be
improved with healthy lifestyle changes. Your primary care
provider can prescribe treatments that can improve the signs
and symptoms for a better quality of life – and to help you
live longer.
Make sure you have
annual physicals, routine medical appointments to manage any
chronic illnesses, and commit to living a healthier
lifestyle. Please seek emergency help immediately if you
have chest pain, severe weakness, rapid/irregular
heartbeats, or sudden and severe shortness of breath with
pink or foamy mucous.
Dianne Hart Pettis, CRNP
724-375-7519
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