Congestive Heart Failure
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What is congestive heart failure?
Congestive heart failure, or heart failure, is a long-term condition caused by the heart muscle’s inability to pump blood throughout the body as efficiently as it should. Heart failure doesn’t mean that the heart has literally failed or has stopped working, it means that the heart has lost some or a lot of its ability to contract or fill with blood.
Because your heart can’t pump blood properly with congestive heart failure, eventually blood and other fluids can back up inside your veins, tissue, lungs, abdomen, liver, and lower body.
Congestive heart failure can be caused by conditions that affect the cardiovascular system like hypertension, coronary artery disease (high cholesterol), and valve conditions. Other conditions that can lead to heart failure include diabetes, thyroid disease, obesity, some chemotherapy medications, bacterial and viral infections, and allergic reactions.
Managing and treating congestive heart failure
You and your care team may decide to treat and manage your symptoms with medications like Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, beta-blockers, or diuretics. If medications aren’t effective on their own, your care team may recommend a surgery or procedure like valve repair surgery or angioplasty. Your care team may also recommend lifestyle changes.
Living with congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure is a progressive illness that can be life-limiting for some, but if it is identified and treated early it can potentially be reversed. On average, half of individuals with congestive heart failure live at least five years and 35% live at least a decade after diagnosis.
Living a heart healthy lifestyle and taking your medication can increase your life expectancy with congestive heart failure. You can make the following lifestyle changes to help manage your heart failure symptoms:
- Stop smoking or don’t start smoking.
- Eat a heart healthy diet low in saturated fats, trans fats, sugar, and sodium. Add more “good” fats like omega 3 fatty acids, lean proteins, fruits and veggies, and low-fat dairy.
- Lose weight if your doctor recommends it.
- Stay active or ad some safe exercises to your routine.
- Closely follow your treatment program.
When living with heart failure, try your best to
- Monitor your symptoms and health
- Try to keep a positive attitude
- Ask as many questions as you can about your care plan and recommendations
How can a group medical visit help?
Congestive heart failure can be a life consuming diagnosis and you might be overwhelmed by the changes in your life as well as your treatment plan. Having a group of peers who have the same questions and are in different stages of the disease can be the support you need to help manage your heart failure.
Group Medical visits offer people an additional resource to help manage their conditions with the support of medical providers, dietitians, and mental health experts, as well as the lived experiences of other patients.