Just the mention of “heart failure” and you’ll surely grimace at the mere thought of it. Curiously, a common misconception is that heart failure literally means that the heart has stopped working. This is not the case, as the condition actually is characterized by the weak pumping power of the heart. When this happens, the patient becomes too fragile that he or she can’t perform simple activities like walking and climbing the stairs.

Although there is no cure for heart failure, a patient may still lead an enjoyable and productive life if the condition is managed. Did you know that more than five million Americans are affected by heart failure? Every year, nearly half a million people in the United States are diagnosed with this condition. In fact, it is the leading cause of hospitalization among senior citizens aged 65 years and above.

Causes

There are many disorders that can contribute to heart failure, like coronary artery disease which happens when the arteries that bring blood and oxygen to the heart become blocked or severely narrowed. It could also be a result of heart attack which happens when the coronary artery suddenly becomes jammed and in turn preventing smooth flow of blood to the heart. Or it could be due to cardiomyopathy, which is damage to the heart muscles due to conditions other than arterial blood flow problems.

Symptoms

So how would you know that a person has heart failure? The symptoms are aplenty, from shortness of breath, fatigue, irregular heartbeat and inflammation of the legs, feet and ankles. A person with heart failure will also have limited ability to engage in any form of exercise, and experience persistent coughs.

Other symptoms include increased need to urinate especially at night, swelling of the abdomen, sudden weight gain, high blood pressure, and inability to focus. Although the symptoms may appear to be not serious as you may have imagined, heart failure can have alarming signs like chest pain, fainting, rapid heartbeat, and coughing up of pink and foamy mucus. When these symptoms are exhibited, it is recommended that a patient immediately seek medical treatment.

Treatment

Treatment usually involves prescription drugs like angiotensin II receptor blockers which widen the blood vessels to enable the blow to flow more freely and consequently lessen the heart’s workload.  Diovan is an example of angiotensin II receptor blocker.  It comes in tablet forms with strengths of 40, 80, 160 and 320 mg. Usually doctors ask their patients with heart failure to take 40 mg tablets twice a day.  Diovan may cause side effects like palpitation, constipation, dry mouth, back pain, anxiety, insomnia, vertigo and impotence especially among men.

Prevention

So how can you ensure that you won’t be afflicted with this dreaded disease? You need to lead a healthy lifestyle from now on so that you can reduce your risks of heart failure. You can start by quitting smoking if you are a smoker, and eating healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. You should also manage stress, and maintain a healthy weight.  Finally, stay physically active so that when you grow old you won’t fall prey to this common ailment.