Early Signs of Heart Failure: 5 Symptoms Worth Worrying About - India.com

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Early detection of red-flag symptoms and signs, along with timely medical intervention can significantly reduce the risk of worsening heart failure.

Early Signs of Heart Failure: 5 Symptoms Worth Worrying About
Early Signs of Heart Failure: 5 Symptoms Worth Worrying About

Heart failure is a global public health problem affecting an estimated 64 million people worldwide. Though under-diagnosed, it affects over 1% of adult population in India. Studies have indicated that heart failure carries a high mortality rate in our country (23% in 1-year) and is responsible for >1.8 million hospitalizations annually in the country. This was higher than the overall mortality rate across various global regions, being next only to Africa.1 ,2 Poor lifestyle habits such as unhealthy diet, heavy alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of physical activity, and increased stress can all contribute to the likelihood of development of cardiovascular diseases including heart failure.

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The awareness begins with understanding the difference between heart failure and heart attack. While both of these are serious conditions affecting the heart, the two aren't the same. A heart attack usually occurs unanticipated when there is a sudden blockage in the arteries that supply blood (and oxygen) to the heart. This decrease in blood flow and oxygen supply to the tissues in the affected area ultimately leads to tissue death, if not treated promptly.

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On the other hand, heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition where the heart is unable to pump adequate blood to meet the body's need for oxygen, directly impacting functionality of major vital organs. When this happens, fluid begins to accumulate in other organs such as lungs, abdomen, and legs causing several symptoms of heart failure. Often, heart failure develops as an outcome of various risk-factors like previous heart attack, insufficiently controlled high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes mellitus, lipid-disorders, obesity, chronic kidney-disease, anaemia, rheumatic heart disease, or simply related to ageing.

Early detection of red-flag symptoms and signs, along with timely medical intervention can significantly reduce the risk of worsening heart failure, potentially reducing hospitalization or fatality. "FACES" is a simple acronym developed by the Heart Failure Society of America that helps to easily recognize the five most common early signs of heart failure.3

5 Warning Signs And Symptoms of Heart Failure

  1. F (Fatigue): When the heart is unable to pump enough oxygenated blood to meet the body's requirement, the blood is diverted from organs like muscles or limbs towards the vital organs like the brain or kidney. Patients with heart failure may therefore feel fatigued most of the time and require longer than usual to recover from tiredness.
  2. A (Activity limitation): Over time, the fatigue sets in and leads to a decreased ability to carry out everyday activities like walking or climbing stairs without feeling easily tired or worn out.
  3. C (Congestion): The build-up of excessive fluid in the lungs due to inadequate pumping of the heart causes coughing, wheezing, and breathing difficulty.
  4. E (Edema): Edema or swelling in the ankles and feet area occurs when there is fluid collection in the lower legs after the heart is unable to pump blood back up efficiently. If left untreated, the swelling can rise to the thighs and abdomen, resulting in weight gain and restricted mobility.
  5. S (Shortness of breath): When the blood flow from the heart slows down, blood backs up in the pulmonary veins leaking back into the lungs. This fluid makes it difficult for carbon dioxide in used blood to be exchanged for fresh oxygen, causing difficulty in breathing. People with heart failure may experience breathlessness during normal day-to-day activities, or even at rest.

Dr Shraddha Bhure, Medical Director, Boehringer Ingelheim India says "It is important for one to understand that in most cases heart failure is caused due to long-standing poor lifestyle choices and associated with other medical conditions. The effective way to navigate this is by recognizing the symptoms early on and seeking appropriate medical intervention by consulting a physician immediately. Along with this, healthy lifestyle changes, regular medications, and an optimistic attitude towards life can prove to be fruitful in the journey towards a healthy heart."

Published Date: March 30, 2023 2:53 PM IST

Updated Date: March 30, 2023 3:04 PM IST

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