To be told you have ’heart failure’ can be a frightening and intimidating experience as the term has very negative connotations. However, the term must be used as it is the recognised name of the condition, and it has been so since the 17th century!
So, what does it mean? ‘Heart failure’ essentially means that the heart is ‘failing’ to work as an effective pump. There are many types of heart failure, with many different causes. At its most basic level heart failure can be acute or chronic.
Acute heart failure describes an inefficiency of the heart pump usually following a sudden, acute episode e.g. recent heart attack or serious infection. This is usually a temporary situation, and the heart function can improve once the underlying condition is treated. We do not have patients with only acute heart failure on our caseload. Following heart attacks, a patient will be referred to our colleagues in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Team.
Chronic heart failure is what we call a ‘long-term condition’. It means that the heart failure has developed over a long period of time, often over several years. Chronic heart failure if most commonly the result of damaged heart muscle from past heart attacks, uncontrolled long term high blood pressure or fast heart rates or enlarged and damaged muscle from serious viral infections. Also damaged heart valves (valvular heart disease) can also cause long-term damage and produce symptoms of heart failure.
Heart failure symptoms include:
- Breathlessness on exertion and occasionally at rest
- Rapid weight gain
- Swelling to legs and sometimes the abdomen and/or lower back due to water retention (oedema)
- Fatigue / tiredness
- Discomfort and breathlessness on lying flat or on usual number of pillows (orthopnoea)
- Waking suddenly in the night due to sudden breathlessness (paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea)
- Chest discomfort
- Fast heart rate and uncontrolled blood pressures
For more information, please visit What is Heart Failure | Pumping Marvellous.