What is Heart Failure and What Treatments Help?
Damage to the heart through a variety of causes, means that the muscles in the heart cannot pump efficiently. This means that the blood flow to the body is not effective and commonly gives symptoms such as shortness of breath and swelling of the ankles. Heart failure can impact on your quality of life, having both psychological and social implications. Heart failure is caused by a number of different conditions, these can range from kidney problems, high blood pressure, heart and lung disease, diabetes and even alcohol. As the heart becomes less efficient as a pump, blood becomes backed up behind the heart and this leads to excess water entering the lungs causing shortness of breath. Fluid backs up in other tissues causing oedema. There is no cure for heart failure, however treatment aims to control your symptoms and improve your quality of life. A healthy lifestyle does help: eating a healthy balanced diet, with a low salt intake. This may include reducing alcohol consumption and stop
