What causes congestive heart failure to flare up?

Limit sodium
Sodium causes your body to hold on to extra water. This may cause your heart failure symptoms to get worse. People get most of their sodium from processed foods. Fast food and restaurant meals also tend to be very high in sodium.
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Does congestive heart failure come and go?

There may be times that your symptoms are mild or you may not have any symptoms at all. This doesn't mean you no longer have heart failure. Symptoms of heart failure can range from mild to severe and may come and go. Unfortunately, heart failure usually gets worse over time.
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How do you prevent congestive heart failure from getting worse?

Lifestyle changes you can make to help prevent heart failure include:
  1. Not smoking.
  2. Controlling certain conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
  3. Staying physically active.
  4. Eating healthy foods.
  5. Maintaining a healthy weight.
  6. Reducing and managing stress.
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Does congestive heart failure flare up?

CHF, or congestive heart failure, is a health condition that occurs when the heart doesn't pump blood as efficiently as it needs to. CHF can be the result of a few different conditions, including high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. People with CHF may experience flare-ups, or abrupt worsening of symptoms.
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What are the signs of worsening CHF?

Signs of Worsening Heart Failure
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Feeling dizzy or lightheaded.
  • Weight gain of three or more pounds in one day.
  • Weight gain of five pounds in one week.
  • Unusual swelling in the legs, feet, hands, or abdomen.
  • A persistent cough or chest congestion (the cough may be dry or hacking)
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Congestive Heart Failure: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options - St. Mark's Hospital



How do you get out of congestive heart failure?

Treatment
  1. Vasodilators expand blood vessels, ease blood flow, and reduce blood pressure.
  2. Diuretics correct fluid retention.
  3. Aldosterone inhibitors help with fluid retention and improve chances of living longer.
  4. ACE inhibitors or ARB drugs improve heart function and life expectancy.
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How do you know the end is near with congestive heart failure?

Patients in the end stages of heart failure want to know what to expect. The symptoms of end-stage congestive heart failure include dyspnea, chronic cough or wheezing, edema, nausea or lack of appetite, a high heart rate, and confusion or impaired thinking.
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How long do people usually live after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure?

In general, more than half of all people diagnosed with congestive heart failure will survive for 5 years. About 35% will survive for 10 years. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic, progressive condition that affects the heart's ability to pump blood around the body.
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When should I go to the ER for congestive heart failure?

Go to the emergency room or call your local emergency number if you have heart failure and have gained more than 5 pounds in a week. Also seek help if you can't lie flat, are short of breath at rest, have increased swelling and discomfort in the lower body, or have a constant, hacking cough.
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How fast does CHF progress?

Symptoms can develop quickly (acute heart failure) or gradually over weeks or months (chronic heart failure).
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How long does CHF End stage last?

Patients are considered to be in the terminal end stage of heart disease when they have a life expectancy of six months or less. Only a doctor can make a clinical determination of congestive heart failure life expectancy.
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Can you stop the progression of congestive heart failure?

So although there is no absolute cure for heart failure, medication and lifestyle changes can prevent the condition from worsening and in certain cases, return almost regular heart function.
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What is the difference between heart failure and congestive heart failure?

Actually, heart failure means that the heart isn't pumping as well as it should be. Congestive heart failure is a type of heart failure that requires seeking timely medical attention, although sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably.
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Is congestive heart failure always progressive?

Heart failure is a progressive disease, because the compensatory mechanisms activated to maintain blood pressure and cardiac output during heart failure will ultimately lead to myocardial cell death, further compromising myocardial function.
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What is the best thing for congestive heart failure?

Lifestyle Changes
  • Modify daily activities and get enough rest to avoid stressing the heart.
  • Eat a heart-healthy diet that is low in sodium and fat.
  • Don't smoke and avoid exposure to second-hand smoke.
  • Don't drink alcohol or limit intake to no more than one drink two or three times a week.
  • Lose weight.
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What are 3 things that can worsen heart failure and why?

All of the lifestyle factors that increase your risk of heart attack and stroke – smoking, being overweight, eating foods high in fat and cholesterol and physical inactivity – can also contribute to heart failure.
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What not to do with heart failure?

Avoid These Foods if You Have Heart Failure
  • Alcohol. Heart failure prevents the heart from pumping as well as it used to. ...
  • Salt. Consuming too much salt (sodium) can result in fluid retention in the healthiest of people. ...
  • Highly Processed Grains. ...
  • Processed Meats.
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What is Stage 2 congestive heart failure?

Stage II. The second stage of congestive heart failure carries some noticeable symptoms. Most commonly, they appear after physical activity. After exercise or other moderate physical exertion, patients may experience symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and fatigue.
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What is a high number for congestive heart failure?

A result greater than 100 pg/mL is abnormal. The higher the number, the more likely heart failure is present and the more severe it is. Sometimes other conditions can cause high BNP levels.
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Do oxygen levels drop with heart failure?

With heart failure, your heart becomes a weaker pump. Over time it becomes less effective at pumping oxygen-rich blood through your body. This may cause your oxygen levels to drop. When oxygen levels drop, you may become short of breath or winded.
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Do you get admitted to hospital for congestive heart failure?

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a serious condition associated with high hospitalization and mortality rates.
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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.
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Is congestive heart failure a terminal illness?

CHF is NOT a death sentence

While serious, congestive heart failure diagnosis doesn't mean your life is over. It's important to understand how manageable it is.
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What is the most common cause of death in heart failure?

Cardiac arrest is the mode of demise in 30–50% of patients with heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), and conversely, systolic dysfunction is a major risk factor for sudden cardiac death in the community.
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What stage of heart failure is shortness of breath?

Stage 2 of Congestive Heart Failure

Stage two of congestive heart failure will produce symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations after you participate in physical activity. As with stage one, lifestyle changes and certain medication can help improve your quality of life.
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