CHF (chronic heart failure): signs, stages and complications

CHF is a disease characterized by poor blood supply to human organs in any condition.

It is how about physical activity, and about a state of rest.

This leads to the fact that organs and tissues no longer receive the oxygen necessary for full-fledged life in the proper volume.

The consequences of this are sad: poor blood supply is one of the main causes of many diseases.

Against this background, shortness of breath, weakness and swelling immediately appear due to fluid retention in the body.

If we talk about the development of chronic heart failure, then it should be noted that this disease develops gradually.

CHF develops for certain reasons.

Let's figure out what causes heart failure:

• Ischemia of the heart.
• Myocardial infarctioncarried over recently.
• All kinds of viral and bacterial diseases.
• Constant high blood pressure.
• Pathological changes in the structure of heart tissue due to previous inflammatory diseases.
• Metabolic disorders in the heart muscle.
• Wrong heart rate.
• Pathological condition of the heart muscle, provoking an increase in connective scar tissue in the myocardium.
• All kinds of heart disease.
• Inflammation of the heart valves.
• Inflammation of the serous membrane of the heart, provoking compression of the heart and blood vessels by accumulated fluid.
• Diseases of the lungs and bronchi.
• The constant effects of alcohol on the body.
• Old age.

Chronic heart failure: symptoms and diagnosis

Chronic heart failure manifests itself with symptoms that depend on the extent of the damage to the heart muscle.

The main symptoms of the disease are:

• Shortness of breath, which manifests itself strongly when lying down. The patient has to sleep, almost half-sitting, putting several pillows under his head.
• Violent cough with phlegm in which blood particles can be found. In the supine position, the cough becomes simply unbearable.
• Great weakness even without exercise. The body weakens, as oxygen is supplied to the brain in insufficient quantities.
• Severe edema, especially in the evening. The fluid is not excreted from the body and is deposited in the tissues of the legs, therefore it is necessary to regulate the water balance.
• Abdominal pain arising from swelling of the abdominal cavity.
• Renal and hepatic impairment.
• Blue skin, especially fingers and lips. This is due to the fact that venous blood does not circulate well and does not oxygenate the tissues.
• Tachycardia and arrhythmia.

The diagnosis of chronic heart failure is established by the doctor based on the patient's complaints. With the disease, weak heart sounds are well heard, the heart rate is malfunctioning, noises and wheezing in the lungs are heard.

During the examination, an ultrasound of the heart is performed, which shows the pathology, as a result of which heart failure began to develop. Also, during an ultrasound scan, you can look at the contractile function of the myocardium.

Also, laboratory tests are prescribed, if their results are poor, an electrocardiogram may be prescribed to determine ischemic disease, signs of postinfarction cardiosclerosis, and heart rhythm. In case of serious ECG deviations, a daily ECG, blood pressure measurement, treadmill test, and bicycle ergometry can be performed. This allows you to identify the stage of angina pectoris and CHF.

X-rays are prescribed to determine myocardial hypertrophy. Also in the picture you can see the pathology of the lungs, which appeared as a result of venous stasis or edema.

In the presence of coronary artery disease, the patient can undergo coronary angiography to determine the level of patency of the venous arteries and prescribe surgical treatment. If there is a suspicion of stagnation of blood in the liver and kidneys, ultrasound of these organs is done.

The disease requires a thorough diagnosis, which must be prescribed by a doctor.

Factors that can lead to worsening CHF:

• Development of a major heart disease that does not respond to treatment.
• Development of additional diseases of the cardiovascular system.
• Development of diseases of other organs.
• Physical work, poor nutrition, lack of vitamins, constant nervous tension.
• Taking certain medications.

Acute heart failure: symptoms and treatment

Acute heart failure is a syndrome in which clinical signs of the disease appear quickly and very clearly, as a result of a deterioration in the systolic function of the heart.

All these failures in the work of the heart lead to hemodynamic disturbances and irreversible changes in the blood circulation of the lungs.

Acute heart failure is a malfunction of the heart, resulting in a worsening of the heart. ejection, the pressure in the pulmonary circulation increases, there is a weak microcirculation of blood in the tissues and stagnation.

This is a pathological condition that appears due to the development of CHF for its decompensation, although there are cases of the development of pathology without heart disease.

AHF requires immediate medical attention, as it is a common condition that poses a threat to human life.

Acute heart failure is a critical condition that can lead to cardiac arrest. If you suspect a syndrome, you should immediately call an ambulance with a cardiac resuscitation team.

Symptoms of right ventricular failure include:

• Shortness of breath at rest. It appears as a result of bronchospasm.
• Chest pain.
• Blue or yellowing of the skin, especially the lips.
• Cold perspiration on the forehead.
• Protrusion and palpation of veins in the neck.
• Increased liver and pain in the area.
• Heart palpitations.
• Swelling in the legs.
• Bloating.

Symptoms of left ventricular failure include:

• Dyspnea with suffocating effect.
• Frequent palpitations and arrhythmias.
• Weakness to fainting.
• Blanching of the skin.
• Cough with foam and blood.
• Wheezing in the lungs.

Acute heart failure can be fatal, so medical help is needed. You should not postpone and wait until the attack passes, you urgently need to call an ambulance with cardiologists. Doctors upon arrival will help restore the heartbeat and blood flow through the damaged vessels. For this, thrombocyte-dissolving agents are injected into the vein.

Upon arrival at the hospital, an urgent operation can be performed to restore the heart muscle, if there was a rupture.

Also, doctors relieve an attack of suffocation, which caused congestive insufficiency, remove thromboembolism and conduct oxygen therapy. Narcotic analgesics are most often used to relieve AHF. And glycosides and cardiotonics help to normalize the contractile function of the myocardium.

You need to know that for any signs of AHF, you should immediately call an ambulance. the fact that in the presence of the slightest suspicion of the development of AHF, it is necessary to immediately call an ambulance help.

Forms and stages of heart failure and their signs

The stages of heart failure according to the classification of cardiologists Strazhesko and Vasilenko are divided according to the development of heart failure.

Stage 1 - initial. The first signs of heart failure appear. The patient is constantly freezing, periodically there is a cold snap of the extremities, the lower part of the body (feet, legs) swells. In the first period, the edema is unstable, occurs in the afternoon and goes away after a long night's rest. The presence of a constant feeling of fatigue, rapid fatigue is also observed, which is explained by a gradual decrease in the speed of blood flow in the skin and muscles of the skeleton. Even with small physical exertion on the body (long walks, walking up stairs, cleaning the room), shortness of breath appears, a sharp attack of dry cough is possible, and the heart rate increases.

Stage 2 (A) - the appearance of blood congestion. The study reveals a violation of the blood flow of the small or large circulation. Periodic asthma attacks or pulmonary edema begin to manifest. This is due to venous congestion in the lungs.

Symptoms:

1. Constant bouts of dry cough.
2. Suffocation.
3. A sudden feeling of anxiety.
4. Heart palpitations.

With pulmonary edema, the patient has a cough with sputum, noisy breathing.

Stage 2 (B) - venous congestion is progressing. The violation is already present in 2 basic circles of blood circulation.

Stage 3 is a clear manifestation of the presence of heart failure, dystrophic changes are already irreversible.

Symptoms:

1. Constant presence of shortness of breath.
2. The inability to perform even small physical activity.
3. Cirrhosis of the liver.
4. Edema formation.
5. Lowering blood pressure.

If you do not urgently consult a specialist and start treatment, the heart muscle is quickly depleted, the liver, kidneys, and brain “suffer”. Death is possible.

The New York Heart Association has developed its functional classification and defined the following stages of heart failure:

1. Functional class 1 - the patient feels difficulties only in those cases when his physical activity is at a high level. There are no signs of heart disease, changes can only be recorded by an ultrasound machine.
2. Functional class 2 - shortness of breath and pain sensations occur periodically at a standard level of physical activity.
3. Functional class 3 - the patient's condition can be considered positive only if he adheres to the pastel mode and limits physical activity as much as possible.
4. Functional class 4 - even a minimal set of movements can cause an attack, any kind of stress is excluded.

There is left ventricular and right ventricular heart failure. Also, if you follow the pathological irreversible changes, you can distinguish the systolic and diastolic type of ventricular dysfunction. In the first case, the cavity of the left ventricle expands markedly, and the blood flow becomes less. In the second case, the affected organ is not able to completely relax and process the standard volume of blood, which provokes congestion in the lungs.

It is very important for a specialist to correctly diagnose the type of ventricular dysfunction by examining the signs of heart failure. The course of treatment also looks different, since the physiological pathology of the above forms of pathologies is radically different.

The treatment regimen is drawn up only after the complete clinical picture of the disease has been identified. The emergence and development of pathologies directly depend on the age of the patient, the stage of development of the disease. Also, the patient must provide his medical history. In this case, it will be easier for the cardiologist to trace the history of the development of the disease and its approximate temporary presence.

Phases of pathology development:

1. Systolic heart failure. The time intervals of the ventricular contraction are violated.
2. Diastolic heart failure. The time intervals of ventricular relaxation are violated.
3. Mixed form of violation. The normal functioning of both systole and diastole is impaired.

Complications of CHF and treatment methods

Complications of CHF can occur if the treatment of the disease is not started on time.

CHF is often the result of many diseases of the internal organs and most heart diseases.

In chronic heart failure, the heart does not pump as much blood as needed, resulting in a lack of nutrients in the organs.

The first and obvious signs of CHF are the presence of edema and shortness of breath. Swelling is the result of stagnation of blood in the veins. Shortness of breath is a sign of stagnation of blood in the vessels of the lungs.

When treating CHF, the patient must follow the prescribed diet. This nutritional system is to restrict salt and water. Food should be selected as nutritious and easily digestible. They must contain the required amount of protein, vitamins and minerals. The patient is also obliged to monitor his weight and perform dynamic loads on different muscle groups. The amount and type of load in each individual case is determined by the attending physician.

Medicines that are prescribed for CHF are of the main, additional and auxiliary groups. The drugs of the main group prevent the development of the disease, since they protect the heart, internal organs and optimize blood pressure. This includes ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor antagonists (Concor, Anaprilin), beta-blockers, diuretics (Amiloride, Furosemide) and cardiac glucosides.

Also, the doctor may prescribe drugs based on benazepril: it is a modern and efficient development of scientists. Another drug can be prescribed as part of complex therapy - Orthomol Cardio.

It is often advisable to use electrophysiological methods of therapy.

These methods include:

1. Artificial implantation that creates an electrical impulse for the muscles of the heart.
2. Three-chamber implantation of the impulse of the right atrium and ventricles of the heart. This ensures simultaneous contraction of the ventricles of the heart on both sides.
3. Implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator - a device that transmits not only an electrical impulse to the heart, but also minimizes the risk of arrhythmia.

When drug treatment is ineffective and the attack of heart failure does not go away, surgical intervention is used.

Types of surgical intervention for CHF:

1. Coronary artery bypass grafting is performed when the vessels are noticeably affected by atherosclerosis.
2. Surgical correction of valve defects - used for severe stenosis or insufficient number of valves.
3. A heart transplant is a cardinal, but in some cases a necessary method. In the process of such an operation, the following difficulties often occur: rejection, lack of donor organs, damage to the blood channels of the transplanted heart.
4. Protection of the heart with an elastic mesh frame. Thanks to this method, the heart does not increase in size, and the patient feels better.

The installation of artificial equipment and apparatus into the human body can also be used to improve blood circulation. Such devices are surgically introduced into the patient's body. Through the skin, they connect to the batteries located on his belt. However, in the process of such an operation, infectious complications, thromboembolism and thrombosis are quite possible. The cost of such devices is very high, which also hinders their use.

If you do not take up the treatment of the disease in time, then the patient may face acute myocardial insufficiency, pulmonary edema, frequent and prolonged pneumonia or even sudden cardiac death, heart attack, stroke, thromboembolism. These are the most common complications of CHF.

In the absence of treatment, the prognosis for the patient is disappointing. Heart disease usually leads to complications and deterioration of the organ. With timely treatment, the prognosis is comforting - the disease begins to progress more slowly, or even completely recedes.

With CHF, you should strictly adhere to a certain lifestyle, namely:

• Work and rest hours, enough sleep and time for walks in the fresh air.
• Compliance with proper nutrition is the key to the health of the whole body. Meals should be fractional - 5-6 small meals. The amount of salt should be minimized, the amount of fat in the diet should be limited, alcoholic and nicotine products should be excluded, and more seasonal fruits and vegetables and dairy products should be consumed.
• Observe the mode of physical activity - according to the doctor's prescription, you should engage in physiotherapy exercises.
• Observe all the recommendations of the attending physician - this will help to avoid complications and slow down the progression of the pathology.

So that an attack of heart failure no longer bothers you, you should not only go to a doctor's appointment in a timely manner, but also take medications.