The heart is a muscular organ which is used for pumping blood. There however occurs instances when the heart is unable to pump blood to the extent which it should. This typically happens when the muscles of the heart have become weak or when due to some other defect, it is unable to circulate blood through the body according to heart hospitals in India. With time, this causes various organs of the body to receive less blood than usual.
Stages of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
CHF has been categorised in four groups, which are A, B, C, and D. With the progression into every successive stage, the life span of an individual decrease by five years. Let us talk about each of these stages in detail.
Stage A
Individuals who are in Stage A of CHF do not experience any problems with their heart and its functioning. They also do not show any symptoms of CHF. However, such patients do begin to develop conditions which can lead to a more severe form of CHF. These include high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and diabetes.
Stage B
In the second stage of CHF, individuals are more like to have a heart disease which is associated with the development of heart failure in the future. Some of these diseases include an enlarged left ventricle or have already experienced a heart attack.
Stage C
People who are in Stage C of CHF will have underlying heart disease, and as a result, will tend to get tired easily or have difficulty in breathing as the left ventricle begins to contract. This also includes individuals who have already experienced symptoms of CHF but not anymore.
Stage D
This is the last stage of CHF wherein patients have heart diseases in a more advanced form and which are visible even when the body is at rest. Individuals who are in this stage of CHF require constant hospice care and attention.
Diagnosis and Treatment
The diagnosis for CHF is done by a cardiologist using various tests which include – ECG, EEG, MRI, blood and stress tests, and cardiac catheterization.
Heart failure treatment is done using various medications. These include –
ACE or Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme which helps widen blood vessels and make blood circulation easier and lower blood pressure
Anti-platelets and blood thinners which prevent blood clots
Beta-blockers which lower heart rate and thus help the heart muscles pump blood at a more relaxed pace
Calcium channel blockers to control irregular heart rhythms
Diuretics to help the body remove excess fluid by passing it through the urine and prevent the heart and lungs from getting fatigued
Apart from medicines, there are a number of procedures which can be done to treat CHF, a few of which are as follows –
Angioplasty – This is done to open a blocked artery in which a stent is placed in the vessel to help it remain open
Valve Replacement Surgery – In this process, a mechanical valve is put in place of an efficient or diseased valve
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery – In this surgery, doctors reroute some of the blood vessels so that the blood can avoid the diseased or blocked blood vessels.
