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Valentine’s
Day culminates National Heart Failure
Awareness Week…Do you know the symptoms of
Heart Failure?
Newswise — Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and a plethora of
hearts and a sea of red can be found abound.
What people may not know is that February 14
also culminates National Heart Failure
Awareness Week, observed February 8-14.
The American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN) is
encouraging everyone to learn the signs and
symptoms of heart failure and offers tips on
maintaining a healthy heart.
Heart failure is a progressive condition in which the heart
muscle weakens or stiffens and gradually
loses its ability to pump enough blood to
supply the body’s needs.
Because of this, you may feel tired or weak. This problem
can also cause fluid buildup in your organs
and tissues, leading to swelling in your
legs and feet, or congestion in your lungs,
leading to increased breathing difficulties.
Heart failure is frighteningly common, but under
recognized. It affects more than five
million people in the U.S., and it’s the
most common cause of hospitalization in
people older than 65 years of age.
Many people with heart failure are not aware they have it.
The following symptoms could signal heart
failure.
If you have any of these for more than a week, call your
health care provider to schedule a check-up.
Shortness of breath – You may feel like you don’t get
enough air when you breathe.
You may “huff and puff” even when you’re not doing anything
tiring. If fluid has built up in your lungs,
it makes it harder to breathe.
This can get worse at night because when you lie down even
more fluid can build up and around your
lungs.
Frequent coughing – You may experience a persistent cough.
The coughing can get worse at night.
Fast heart rate or heavy heart beat – Your heart may feel
like it is racing or pounding.
Tiredness and weakness – If you feel tired and weak, you
cannot work and do the normal things you do
every day. Even walking up stairs or
carrying shopping bags is hard.
Swollen ankles, legs, and/or belly – These are all places
where fluid may build up. This can lead to
swelling, making them seem “puffy” and
larger than normal.
Your shoes and/or rings may feel tight. Your clothes may
also feel tight around your waist. This
swelling is often worse at the end of the
day.
Loss of appetite and/or nausea – You may not want to eat
even when you should be hungry. You also may
feel sick to your stomach.
Weight gain – When extra fluid builds up, it shows up on
the scale as extra weight. A sudden weight
gain of three to five pounds in a few days,
especially when accompanied by shortness of
breath, is a signal to seek assistance.
Although there is no cure for heart failure, it can be
treated and managed. Your health care
provider will work with you to create a plan
to help manage your heart failure.
The key parts of this plan are diet, exercise, lifestyle
changes, and medication.
Take a moment to learn more about heart failure and know
your risk. Visit
www.aahfn.org/patients_resources
to download a heart failure handbook and
symptom tracker. The Web site also offers a
heart failure awareness link where patients
can learn tips for maintaining a healthy
heart. Visit
www.aahfn.org/heart_affairs to
view the “Affairs of the Heart.”
The American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN) is
a specialty organization dedicated to
advancing nursing education, clinical
practice and research to improve heart
failure patient outcomes. The organization’s
goal is to set the standards for heart
failure nursing care. For more information
about AAHFN, visit
www.aahfn.org.
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