Heart  failure  treatment  options  and  long-term  management

Heart failure treatment options and long-term management

Topics Hits: 1848

Heart failure occurs when a heart progressively loses its ability to pump blood that is equal to the needs of body organs.

A cardiologist can treat it in the following ways:

Heart failure treatment by Surgery

These types of surgery help doctors to treat heart failure.

a) Bypass surgery. This surgery routes the blood around the blocked artery.

b) Heart valve surgery

A faulty heart valve can cause a heart failure that a surgeon treats by repairing or replacing it.

c) Infarct exclusion surgery

A scar forms if a heart attack occurs on the left ventricle. A heart surgeon removes the scarred are because it is thin and can bulge when the heart beats.

d) Heart transplant

A heart transplant is the last action when a heart failure cannot respond to other treatments due to severity.

Heart Failure Treatment by Devices

i.Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)

Heart failure worsens when the heartbeat is slow. CRT uses a pacemaker to send timed electrical impulses to the lower chambers of the heart for them to pump more in sync and better. Doctors call it a biventricular pacemaker and might use it with an ICD. ii.Implantable Cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) An ICD is a device resembling a pacemaker that heart doctors put under the chest skin. It has wires that pass through the veins into the heart to track its rhythm. An ICD paces the heart or shocks it back to the usual rhythm if it stops beating. It also acts as a pacemaker to speed up a heart if the pace is too slow.

iii.Ventricular assist device (VAD)

Doctors put a VAD device into the chest or abdomen before attaching it to the heart to boost its effort in pumping blood to the body organs. Doctors mostly use VADs to support the left ventricle but can also use it in the right or both ventricles.

Heart Failure Treatment by Medicine

These symptoms are indicators that the patient is likely to have a small bowel obstruction.

    • Beta-blockers: Beta-blockers slow down the heart rate and reduce blood pressure. They also reverse some of the damage in systolic heart failure cases.
    • Angiotensin-converting enzyme (Ace) inhibitors: The function of these inhibitors is to relax and open up the blood vessels making it simpler for the heart to pump blood around the body.
    • Angiotensin II receptor blockers(ARBs): ARBS are alternative drugs to ACE for people who cannot tolerate the inhibitors.
    • Diuretics: Water pills that increase the frequency of urination to relieve the breathlessness and ankle swelling due to heart failure. They cause loss of magnesium and potassium hence a doctor might recommend supplements for these minerals.
    • Aldosterone antagonists: Work in a similar way to diuretics without causing a reductionin potassium levels.
    • Hydralazine with nitrate: These substances combine to help in relaxing and opening the blood vessels for people who cannot take ARB or ACE inhibitor.
    • Cubitril valsartan : A tablet combining an ARB and a neprilysin inhibitor for consumption by people suffering from severe heart failure and their heart only pumps a little amount of oxygenated blood even after taking other medication.
    • Digoxin: A drug from made from foxglove plan with properties to strengthen the heart muscle contractions and slow the heart rate down.
    • Ivabradine: Slows the heard down an alternative or accompaniment to beta blockers if they cause side effects or are not slowing the heart rate.

Long-Term Management of Heart Failure

These actions help to manage heart failure and to improve overall health:

1. Eating a healthy diet rich in fiber and potassium

2. Reducing the salt intake to 1,500 mg a day, sugar, cholesterol and saturated fat

3. Take lesser calories if it is necessary to reduce weight

4. Exercises regularly within a program that a cardiologist approves

5. Prevent lung infections with vaccinations

    6.Avoid alcoholic and tobacco products 7.Take medications as prescribed A backing of health practitioners, psychologists, social workers, and family and support group is necessary for treatment and management of heart failure.