Your heart is one of the most — if not the most — important organs in your entire body. Without a healthy heart, your body can’t access the oxygen it needs to thrive and function normally. If you regularly experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or an irregular heartbeat, you may be suffering from heart failure. Cardiologist Rodolfo Farhy, MD, FACC, FAHA, at Heart and Vein Center in Lathrup Village, Michigan, regularly treats heart failure using safe, proven means. To request your consultation today, call Dr. Farhy’s office or click the online booking tool.
Heart Failure:
Overview:
- Heart failure means that the heart isn’t pumping blood as effectively as it should be. When the heart pumps, it delivers oxygenated blood throughout the body. All the cells in our bodies require oxygen to function normally. When a patient has heart failure, essentially the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to meet the demands of the body.
Symptoms:
- Symptoms for heart failure can include fatigue, shortness of breath, edema, coughing, chest pain, irregular heart beat, as well as others.
Risk factors and causes:
- Heart failure often develops in patients that have a previous heart condition, which weakens or damages the heart. Patients that have hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes, are obese, smoke, or have had previous heart attacks are all at higher risks of developing heart disease. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle, patients can control many of the risk factors of heart failure.
Treatment:
- Treatment for heart failure may include medications to lower blood pressure; treat cholesterol, thin blood to help prevent stroke as well as others. Patients may also undergo procedures such as coronary artery bypass, valve replacement, or pacemaker or ICD implantation when necessary.
