Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Welcome to our presentation on Congestive Heart Failure.
I'm Emilee. I'm Leah.
Congestive Heart Failure is a chronic condition where the heart is unable to pump blood
adequately to the body.
Blood moves slower through the heart and the body
and the heart may stretch and become stiff and thickened
Eventually it will weaken.
The kidneys respond by causing the body to retain fluids and salts
Fluid builds up and the body becomes congested.
The heart will work harder and an enlargement of the left ventricle will develop
The heart is not filling or pumping efficiently therefore blood will accumulate in other areas of the body
such as the lungs, GI tract, arms, and legs
Here we have a comparison of a normal heart versus a congestive heart.
As you can see the congestive heart has enlarged muscles at the ventricles.
This is because the heart has to pump harder in order to adequately meet the body's demand for blood supply.
In addition, the enlarged ventricular muscles make it harder for the ventricles to fill with an sufficient amount of blood
thus making the heart pump harder and faster
When the left ventricle starts to fail, thats when fluid collects in the lungs.
This buildup of fluid in the lungs makes it more difficult for the airway to expand as a person inhales.
This is why a person may feel short of breath particularly when exercising or when lying down
When the right ventricle starts to fail, fluid begins to collect in the feet and lower legs.
As the condition worsens, the upper legs swells and eventually the abdomen collects fluid.
Common causes of congestive heart failure are coronary artery disease and hypertension.
Other causes include diabetes, congenital heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy
and structural defects associated with heart valve disease.
Signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure include fatigue, congested lungs leading to shortness of breath and persistent coughing
Weight gain and swelling in the arms, legs, and abdomen due to fluid and water retention
Enlargement of heart muscle, high blood pressure and rapid or irregular heart beats are also symptoms.
Who does congestive heart failure affect?
Well it affects people of all ages.
There are almost 1.4 million people under the age of 60 who have congestive heart failure.
Congestive heart failure affects both men and women equally as frequent.
African Americans experience heart failure twice as often as Caucasians.
According to the CDC, approximately 5 million people are living with congestive heart failure
and 550,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
Although there is no cure for congestive heart failure, changing your lifestyle can help relieve symptoms
and prevent further complications down the road.
Here are some tips for lifestyle changes.
First maintain a healthy weight by changing dietary habits and choosing healthier alternatives.
Secondly, restrict salt and fat intake in your diet.
The American Heart Association recommends patients with heart failure should consume less than 2000mg of sodium per day.
Try using other spices and seasonings to flavor your food.
Also, remember to take your medications just how your doctor recommends.
Next, aerobic exercise three times or more a week can strengthen your cardiovascular system and functional capacity.
Quit smoking. Chemicals in tobacco smoke can cause harm to your heart and blood vessels.
Also, avoid stressful situations.
Next, stop excessive alcohol consumption.
Alcohol weakens the heart's pumping ability and causes further complications.
Lastly, get an adequate amount of sleep.
A good goal is to strive for a full 8 hours of sleep every night.
If you have trouble breathing while laying down try using extra pillows.
This brings us to the end of the presentation. I hope you enjoyed learning about congestive heart failure and have a great day!