Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure is a long-term condition where blood doesn’t pump through your heart properly. Tyler Internal Medicine Associates P.A. has cardiovascular specialists at offices in Tyler and Lindale, Texas, who promptly diagnose and treat heart failure. With their help, you can live a longer, healthier, more enjoyable life. Call your nearest office or book an appointment online today for first-class congestive heart failure treatment.

Should I worry about congestive heart failure?

When you have congestive heart failure, it means your heart can’t pump blood properly. The heart muscle might be too weak to get enough oxygen-rich blood around your body. Or the muscle may not relax sufficiently for the heart to fully fill with blood.

Congestive heart failure develops gradually, resulting from an underlying medical problem damaging your heart. Conditions that could cause congestive heart failure include the following:

• Coronary artery disease
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Heart valve disease
• Myocarditis (heart muscle inflammation)
• Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
• Diabetes
• Thyroid disease

You’re more likely to suffer from congestive heart failure if you smoke, drink alcohol to excess, or close family members have heart problems.

What symptoms indicate I have congestive heart failure?

Congestive heart failure symptoms resemble those of other cardiac conditions, for example: 

• Chronic fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Irregular or rapid heartbeat
• Exercise intolerance
• Persistent cough
• Waking up at night to urinate
• Reduced appetite
• Abdominal swelling 
• Swollen legs, ankles, and feet

Swelling (edema) develops because poor circulation allows fluids to build up in your tissues.

What treatment would I need for congestive heart failure?

Your Tyler Internal Medicine Associates P.A. provider develops a personalized treatment plan for you after completing a thorough physical exam, medical history review, and symptom assessment. You may also need to undergo diagnostic procedures like an echocardiogram or heart MRI.

Depending on what they find, your provider may recommend the following:

Lifestyle changes

You can reduce congestive heart failure symptoms and slow their progression by following a heart-healthy diet and exercising regularly. You should avoid cholesterol and other unhealthy fats, eat plenty of wholefoods, fruits, and vegetables, and reduce your salt intake. 

Medication

Some medications treat congestive heart failure, while others address problems like high blood pressure and high cholesterol that can cause heart failure. Other drugs you might benefit from include diuretics to flush excess fluids out of your body and anticoagulants (blood thinners) to improve blood flow.

Patients with advanced congestive heart failure might require a catheterization procedure. These minimally invasive treatments can repair damaged heart valves and implant devices like pacemakers and tiny cardioverter-defibrillators without you needing open heart surgery. 

To seek care for congestive heart failure, call Tyler Internal Medicine Associates P.A. or request an appointment online today.