heart failure

If you’ve had a heart attack, cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal heart valves or heart rhythm, lung disease or a congenital heart defect, you are at a greater risk of developing heart failure.

When heart failure goes untreated, you will likely feel fatigue and loss of energy, shortness of breath (even when lying down), cough and fluid retention in your ankles, legs or stomach.

To diagnose heart failure, your doctor can perform a variety of non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures:

• Blood and urine tests (checking electrolytes, proteins and other factors)
• Chest X-ray (looking for an enlarged heart or congested lungs)
• Electrocardiogram or ECG (measuring the electrical activity of the heart)
• Echocardiogram (sound waves to help examine heart structure and function)
• Heart catheterization (to detect blockages, valve problems or other causes of CHF)
• Cardiac MRI
• Nuclear heart scans

Heart failure cannot be cured, but your Anderson heart team can treat your symptoms and help improve your heart function. A dedicated team of board-certified cardiologists and specialists in heart failure will develop a comprehensive treatment program with the goal of stabilizing your heart failure before it worsens.

To determine if you have heart failure, your doctor may order one of the following:

• Implantation of bi-ventricular pacing devices (pacemakers/defibrillator)
• Comprehensive medical care (including regular measurement of symptoms and vital signs)
• Angioplasty, valve replacement or bypass (to improve and possibly alleviate symptoms)
• Medications
• Patient education on healthy lifestyle changes:
  • Exercise
  • Diet (including restricting salt)
  • Smoking cessation

Managing your weight and blood pressure is crucial to managing your heart failure. And when your heart failure is under control, you can rest more comfortably at home, maintain your independence and even exercise. Taking and tracking regular weight and blood pressure measurements at home can help you avoid hospital visits.