What happens if your heart is weak

The impacts of congenital defects. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated March 22, Patient education: heart failure beyond the basics. Updated April Health threats from high blood pressure. Association between healthy eating patterns and risk of cardiovascular disease. Published online June 15, Preventive Services Task Force. Healthy diet and physical activity for cardiovascular disease prevention in adults with cardiovascular risk factors: behavioral counseling interventions.

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Causes and Risk Factors of Heart Failure. What is Heart Failure? Signs of Left-Sided Heart Failure. What Is Acute Heart Failure? During a routine physical examination, your doctor may detect signs of heart failure long before you experience symptoms. Heart failure rarely occurs suddenly except after a major heart attack, severe heart valve problem or period of seriously high blood pressure.

People who experience any of the symptoms associated with heart failure, even if they are mild, should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Once a person is diagnosed, it's important to keep track of symptoms and report any sudden changes. These symptoms occur as the heart loses strength and the ability to pumped blood throughout the body. In turn, blood can back up and cause "congestion" in other body tissues, which is why heart failure sometimes is called "congestive.

At the same time, the heart as well as other parts of the body attempt to adapt and make up for the deteriorating pumping ability. For example:. Although the body's ability to compensate for the failing heart initially is beneficial, in the long run these adaptations contribute to the most serious cases of heart failure.

Eventually, the heart and body are unable to keep up with the added stress. If patients wait until they experience obvious symptoms of heart failure before seeing a doctor, the condition already may be life-threatening.

If you experience any of these symptoms, consult your doctor as soon as possible. UCSF Health medical specialists have reviewed this information. It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or other health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider.

Heart failure is brought on by a variety of underlying diseases and health problems. Each side has two chambers: An atrium or upper chamber A ventricle or lower chamber Any one of these four chambers may not be able to keep up with the volume of blood flowing through it. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Accessed Oct. Ferri FF. Heart failure. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Elsevier; Colucci WS. Determining the etiology and severity of heart failure or cardiomyopathy.

Evaluation of the patient with suspected heart failure. Heart failure HF. Merck Manual Professional Version. Vasan RS, et al. Epidemiology and causes of heart failure. Goldman L, et al. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Warning signs of heart failure. American Heart Association. Rakel D, ed. In: Integrative Medicine. Borlaug BA, et al. Treatment and prognosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Allen L. Palliative care for patients with advanced heart failure: Decision support, symptom management, and psychosocial assistance. The dying patient. Brown AY. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic. Unhealthy behaviors can also increase your risk for heart failure, especially for people who have one of the diseases listed above. Unhealthy behaviors include:. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve quality and length of life for people who have heart failure.

Treatment usually involves taking medications, getting daily physical activity, and reducing the salt or sodium you eat in your diet. People with heart failure need to track their weight and symptoms each day so that they can discuss these symptoms with their health care team. Heart failure management is a treatment strategy that can improve your heart function, reduce your symptoms, and lengthen your life.

The strategy combines several treatments, including lifestyle changes, medications, and heart procedures. The last couple of years have been exciting in having newer medications we can offer to patient swith a weak heart muscle.

These add to our other well-proven medications that can really help improve the heart function in many people, reduce hospitalizations and improve surviving with heart failure.

Anther medication usually known to treat patients with diabetes, known as Dapagliflozin a Gliflozin , has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with a heart muscle, even without diabetes when used in combination with other medications. Some patients with heart failure may need surgery or procedures to open blocked heart arteries, or open-heart surgery. They may need heart valves fixed or replaced.

Many often need procedures to help reduce heart rhythm abnormalities.