Introduction to Heart Failure

Introduction to Heart Failure

Demographics suggest that a vast multitude of people in India are either suffering from, or are prone to cardiovascular diseases. As you might know, an ailment like heart failure is fatal. However, it is not that there is no way out. With proper care and treatment, patients can not only prevent heart failure conditions from worsening, but also live a healthier life.

Here are a few things about heart failure that everyone must know:

What is Heart Failure?

Heart failure, also recognized as congestive heart failure, is a condition of the heart where the heart fails to pump blood that is required to maintain the flow of blood needed by the body. This may be the case when either the structure or the functioning of the heart is changed. Some of the reasons behind the occurrence of this condition are – high blood pressure, infection, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, and so on. Delay can be detrimental when it comes to heart failure treatment, regardless of whether it is in Jaipur or somewhere else.

Signs and Symptoms

Some of the common symptoms of heart failure are shortness of breath, swelling of legs or feet, excessive tiredness, swollen abdomen, lack of appetite or nausea etc. The symptoms of heart failure are common to some other ailments including anemia, obesity, liver problem or kidney failure.

Tests and Diagnosis

Since a large number of people fall prey to heart issues every year, it is important that individuals above the age of 30 opt for tests.

Some of the methods undertaken for the diagnosis of heart failure issues are:

  • Blood Tests – Blood tests are carried out to look for issues with liver, kidney, thyroid etc. that may affect the heart or cause heart failure.
  • Electrocardiogram – This tests the electrical activities of the heart by using electrodes to detect issues with the heart rhythm.
  • Echocardiogram – Used specifically for detecting heart failure, this test uses waves to help doctors see the size and functioning of the heart, differentiate between the systolic and diastolic heart failures, detect previous heart attack evidences etc.
  • Coronary Angiogram – This test is used to identify the narrowing of heart vessels that can lead to heart failures. It involves the inclusion of a catheter into blood vessel.

These tests mentioned above mark the first step towards the treatment of heart failure. If you are looking for heart tests in Jaipur, consulting the experts at the Jaipur Heart and Multispeciality Centre is one of the best ways to go about it.