Heart failure is characterized by the heart’s difficulty pumping the amount of blood required and with the pressure necessary to meet the body’s needs. This results in the heart sending less oxygenated blood to the tissues and organs, while the heart itself, in its attempt to respond, becomes tired and damaged.
Heart failure can be caused by various causes and factors, which usually affect the function of the heart. Then symptoms appear such as:
- dyspnea,
- fatigue,
- reduced exercise tolerance and more generally
Heart failure can be caused by many different causes that affect the structure and function of the heart. Such are:
- Coronary artery disease.
- High blood pressure.
- Valvular diseases (aortic, mitral valve stenosis or insufficiency).
Cardiomyopathies. - Arrhythmias-tachyarrhythmias.
- Congenital heart diseases.
- Other factors, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus and excessive alcohol consumption.
- Certain medications, such as antidiabetic, antihypertensive or chemotherapeutic drugs.
Heart failure, depending on the cause that causes it, is a serious condition that can be fatal. It has effects on the entire body and causes a burden on kidney and liver function.
Patients with the aforementioned symptoms should visit the Cardiologist without delay for diagnostic tests in order to treat the cause of heart failure.
Heart failureDiagnosis and treatment of heart failure
The diagnosis, in addition to the clinical examination at the Clinic and taking a history, also includes a complete check of the heart function. Depending on the findings from the triplex heart and other tests, further investigation will be requested (transesophageal ultrasound, coronary angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, etc.), in order to precisely determine the causes of heart failure and the degree of risk for the patient.
Treatment:
- Always depending on the cause of heart failure, the Cardiologist will administer special medication.
- If the patient needs to be protected from life-threatening arrhythmias, he may need to undergo the placement of a pacemaker or defibrillator or biventricular defibrillator.
- If the failure is due to coronary disease, he will undergo angioplasty or even cardiac surgery.
- If the patient does not respond satisfactorily to medication and the arrhythmia persists, it is investigated whether it is appropriate to undergo a minimally invasive percutaneous technique.
In all cases, patients with heart failure require systematic monitoring by a Cardiologist, with examinations and continuous adjustment of their medication.
