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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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How Is Arrhythmia Linked To Heart Failure? Heart failure does not mean that the heart has stopped or is about to stop working. But it is a serious condition that require medical care. Yet, it is a very common condition. In America, for instance, about 5.7 million people are diagnosed with such condition. It can affect both children and adults. It develops over time when the pumping action of the heart becomes weaker. Most cases of heart failure involve both sides of the heart. However, it can affect only one side of the heart. It is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's requirements. For some people, their heart cannot pump enough blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen (right-side failure) and in others, the heart cannot pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body (left-side failure). Most cases involve failure on both sides of the heart. Diseases that damage the heart can cause heart failure. Ischemic heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, arrhythmia (problems with rate or rhythm of the heartbeat), cardiomyopathy (heart muscle becomes enlarged, thick, or rigid), congenital heart defects (problems with heart’s structure present at birth) or aging can all lead to heart failure.
Right-side heart failure may show symptoms like
swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, and veins in the neck. These
symptoms are due to fluid buildup in the body. Right-side and left-side heart
failure also may cause shortness of breath and fatigue (tiredness). When
symptoms begin, one may start feeling tired and short of breath after routine
physical activities, like climbing stairs.
Fluid buildup from heart failure can lead to weight gain, frequent urination, and cough that is worse at night and when one is lying down. The cough may be a sign of acute pulmonary edema, a condition in which too much fluid builds up in the lungs. As the heart grows weaker, symptoms may get worse. One may begin to feel tired and short of breath after getting dressed or walking across the room or have shortness of breath while lying flat. Arrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation, premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and premature atrial contractions (PACs), are commonly associated with heart failure. According to a paper published in the journal ‘Circulation’ in December 2014, people with atrial fibrillation have a 3-fold risk for heart failure. If heart failure becomes severe, the arrhythmias associated with heart failure can lead to several severe or dangerous complications related to lung, stroke, organ failure, and even sudden death. People who have heart failure and prolonged or severe pulmonary congestion can develop lung complications, especially pneumonia and pulmonary embolus. For those having repeated episodes of acute pulmonary edema may simply reach the point where an acute episode causes death before they can get medical care. Stroke is common in people with heart failure because blood flow in these people is usually poor. It can also because the blood clots form, usually because of atrial fibrillation, in the heart can travel to the brain causing the death of brain tissue. Sometimes blood clots form because of blood pooling in massively dilated cardiac chambers. Heart failure reduces cardiac pumping action limiting blood supply to various organs leading to possible organ malfunction. People with heart failure usually have neurological deficits. They may also suffer kidney failure and severe gastrointestinal disorders. These problems can contribute to the weight loss, fatigue, and weakness. Sudden death is frighteningly common in people with heart failure. This can be caused by cardiac arrhythmias (ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation) but they are potentially preventable, for instance, by using an implantable defibrillator. Nevertheless, sudden death can also happen in people with severe heart failure simply because the worn-out heart muscle suddenly stops responding to the heart’s electrical signal (electro-mechanical dissociation).
While researchers continue to study ways to treat
heart failure and its complications, there is no cure for heart failure at
present moment. Medicines and lifestyle changes can, however, help people with
heart failure to live longer and to have more active lives. Date: January 30, 2020
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