Heart Failure

Heart failure (congestive heart failure) is America’s silent epidemic affecting nearly five million Americans of all ages and is responsible for more hospitalizations than all forms of cancer combined. Over 400,000 new cases of heart failure will be diagnosed in the next year. Yet many people with heart failure are not aware that they have it. Some of the most common symptoms of heart failure include feeling tired or short of breath which are often mistaken for normal signs of getting older.

Heart failure does not mean that the heart is about to stop working or that you are about to die. Heart failure is a common condition that usually develops slowly as the heart muscle weakens and needs to work harder to keep blood flowing through the body.

Valley Health’s Heart Failure Clinic, located in the Heart & Vascular Center at Winchester Medical Center, can assist you in the management of heart failure. Being followed in the clinic allows patients to be monitored closely for signs and symptoms that may otherwise cause a hospital admission. Our goal is to see patients as often as needed to keep them out of the hospital and to improve the patient and family members’ quality of life.

Risk Factors

High blood pressure
Prior heart attack
Damage to the heart valves
Diabetes
Family history of enlarged heart

Symptoms

Shortness of breath, which can happen from mild activity
Difficulty breathing when lying down
Waking up breathless in the middle of the night
Weight gain with swelling in the legs and ankles from fluid retention
Tiring easily
Feeling tired all the time
Dry, hacking cough when lying flat in bed

Treatment

Medications are available to relieve your symptoms and to help keep your heart failure from getting worse
For certain heart failure patients, the CardioMEMS Heart Failure System may be recommended to help manage their condition

Prevention

Eat a heart healthy low salt diet
Get regular exercise
Weigh yourself daily and report increases in weight to your doctor
Avoid smoking and alcohol

Early diagnosis and treatment are very important. Today, doctors can do more than ever, so many people with heart failure can live normal lives and be less at risk for being hospitalized. Only your doctor can tell you if you have heart failure.