Can you live a normal life with congestive heart failure?

It is possible to lead a normal life, even if you have Heart Failure. Understanding and taking control of Heart Failure is the key to success. Your doctor and healthcare providers will provide guidelines and a treatment plan. It is your responsibility to follow the treatment plan and manage your Heart Failure.

Can congestive heart failure ever go away?

CHF is not curable, but early detection and treatment may help improve a person's life expectancy. Following a treatment plan that includes lifestyle changes may help improve their quality of life.

Can heart failure get better?

Heart failure is a chronic disease needing lifelong management. However, with treatment, signs and symptoms of heart failure can improve, and the heart sometimes becomes stronger. Doctors sometimes can correct heart failure by treating the underlying cause.

How can you prolong your life with congestive heart failure?

If you have heart failure, you can take steps to improve your heart health. Take your medications as instructed, follow a low-sodium diet, stay active or become physically active, take notice of sudden changes in your weight, live a healthy lifestyle, keep your follow-up appointments and track your symptoms.

Is congestive heart failure a death sentence?

Although it can be a severe disease, heart failure is not a death sentence, and treatment is now better than ever. When this happens, blood and fluid may back up into the lungs (congestive heart failure), and some parts of the body don't get enough oxygen-rich blood to work normally.

Living a Full Life with Congestive Heart Failure

How fast does CHF progress?

Some people also experience other symptoms, such as a persistent cough, a fast heart rate and dizziness. Symptoms can develop quickly (acute heart failure) or gradually over weeks or months (chronic heart failure).

What can a cardiologist do for congestive heart failure?

Your treatment may focus on slowing down your fast heart rate, lowering your high blood pressure, or a combination of both, depending on the factors that are impacting your heart condition. Your cardiologist may also recommend one or more medications to help thwart the progression of heart disease.

Can you live 20 years with CHF?

In general, about half of all people diagnosed with congestive heart failure will survive five years. About 30% will survive for 10 years. In patients who receive a heart transplant, about 21% of patients are alive 20 years later.

What should you not do with heart failure?

Avoid cured and processed meats, which are high in sodium. Burgers and steaks, even unseasoned, present their own problem: they're high in the types of fat that can lead to clogged arteries. Instead, aim to eat more fish than red meat, especially salmon, tuna, trout, and cod.

How do people with heart failure live healthy?

What is the most common treatment for congestive heart failure?

Medicines are the main treatment for heart failure, but for some people surgery may help. Operations that can help with heart failure include: heart valve surgery. a coronary angioplasty or bypass.

What is mild congestive heart failure?

What are the symptoms of mild congestive heart failure? The patient may experience bouts of fluid retention and weight gain, shortness of breath on exertion, and decreased exercise tolerance. Some patients may have significant problems with swelling of their legs.

Can you drive with heart failure?

Heart failure

You must stop driving if you are having symptoms and they: affect your ability to drive safely. distract you when driving. happen when you're sitting or resting.

What are the signs that congestive heart failure is getting worse?

How long can you live with fluid around your heart?

In chronic cases, it can last for more than 3 months. Some people with pericardial effusion may not show any symptoms, and doctors may discover the condition by chance — for example, if they notice fluid around the heart spaces in medical imaging that they have conducted for a different purpose.

What are the warning signs of congestive heart failure?

How much water should a person with heart failure drink?

Your health care provider may ask you to lower the amount of fluids you drink: When your heart failure is not very bad, you may not have to limit your fluids too much. As your heart failure gets worse, you may need to limit fluids to 6 to 9 cups (1.5 to 2 liters) a day.

How do you sleep with heart failure?

How do you strengthen a weak heart?

What is the main cause of congestive heart failure?

The most common cause of congestive heart failure is coronary artery disease. Risk factors for coronary artery disease include: high levels of cholesterol and/or triglyceride in the blood.

Is there a difference between heart failure and congestive heart failure?

Heart failure — sometimes known as congestive heart failure — occurs when the heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should. When this happens, blood often backs up and fluid can build up in the lungs, causing shortness of breath.

Can heart failure patients work?

In most cases, heart failure can be adequately treated and controlled, allowing you to continue to work full-time or part-time. Your particular situation will depend on the cause and severity of your heart failure, as well as the demands of your job.

Will losing weight help with heart failure?

People who lose weight actually improve their hearts by decreasing the thickness of the heart muscle, and that probably lowers their risk for heart failure, he added.

How do you know when heart failure is near the end?

In the final stages of heart failure, people feel breathless both during activity and at rest. Persistent coughing or wheezing. This may produce white or pink mucus. The cough may be worse at night or when lying down.

Does heart failure always progress?

The progress of heart failure is unpredictable and different for each person. In many cases, the symptoms remain at a stable level for quite some time (months or years) before becoming worse. In some cases the severity and symptoms become gradually worse over time.