The one thing that will really change your life in a hurry is a heart attack.  This is particularly so if the heart attack is sufficiently serious that it damages a significant portion of the left ventricle.  In that case the heart can not pump enough blood through your system to maintain your once “normal” body.  You are now a victim of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF).

Congestive Heart Failure Result of Heart Attack

To understand what CHF is and how debilitating it can be, think of CHF as two phrases: “congestive” and “heart failure”.  The “heart failure” part is pretty straight forward.  For whatever reason, probably a blocked coronary artery called an occlusion, a part of the heart muscle was deprived of oxygen nourishing blood flow and consequently died.  That part of the heart muscle no longer works.  It no longer contracts to pump blood throughout he body.  The result is a lesser amount of blood flowing through your system.  That immediately leads to the “congestive” part of the phrase.

As blood is pumped through the body, it is pumped through the kidneys where it is cleansed of impurities and excess liquid.  With less blood flowing through the system, less is cleansed, and less excess fluid is removed.  The excess fluid that is not removed causes your ankles to swell and worse, your lungs to fill with liquid to the point that it becomes almost impossible to breath.  You are in severe “congestion.”

Treating CHF

Fortunately, through the use of medications such as captopril and carvedilol (ace inhibitors and beta blockers) it is possible to rehabilitate the remaining healthy heart muscle so that it pumps harder thus pushing more blood through the system.  Another drug spironolactone, a weak diuretic, or furesomide, a stronger diuretic, can be used to force increased filtration through the kidneys thus helping to keep excess fluid levels in check and thus, keep “congestion” in check.  These drugs, while they make life with CHF much more bearable, are not without consequence.  They can cause liver and kidney problems if not properly balanced.  For that reason it is a good idea to get a blood test every couple of months just to monitor certain specific kidney and liver functions for the maintenance of good health.

 Need For A Pacemaker

Aside from the daily regiment of drugs which must be taken like clockwork for the rest of your life, certain other life changes arise from suffering Congestive Heart Failure.  For one, because of the drugs you will probably need to have a pacemaker installed as a precaution.  The coreg or carvedilol which is used to cause the heart muscle to contract more forcefully (a good thing) has a negative side effect: it causes the heart to beat more slowly.  It is possible that the heart will slow to the point that you pass out.  A pacemaker prevents that.

Restrict Liquids and Salt

The other two big life changers as a result of CHF are restricting your liquid intake to no more than 2 liters of total liquid in a single day and that may be too much, and, radically changing your diet.  Start with reducing your salt intake.  Salt helps the body retain fluids, exactly what you do not want to do.  So, gone are most prepared foods, sauces and soups.  You probably don’t realize just how bland food can be without salt.  Did you ever try eating pop-corn or a potato without salt?  You won’t have much use for kethup either as you will soon see.

Reduce Cholesterol

Next, reduce cholesterol containing foods – those would be your meats and cheeses.  Say good bye to cheeseburgers and fries except for the occasional splurge (once every six months).  Replace you dinners of steaks and roasts with chicken and fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts (unsalted) and salads.

It may be life altering to have a heart attack so severe that it leads to CHF but the fact that I am alive to write about it is a testament to the miracles modern medicine.

Published by Heart Wellness Store

 Copyright Feb 2009
George Fulton

Relevant Posts:

Stem Cell Research- Congestive Heart Failure Patient Improves 

Featuring the latest stem cell research and adult stem cell therapy success stories. Focusing on patients who have been helped by adult stem cell research and treatment using adult stem cells. 

Heart Attack Victim Given Miracle by Adult Stem Cell Research 

One of his congestive heart failure patients was Dr. Howard Lindeman, a heart attack victim who says he has been given a new life- “I had the procedure done and since then, I’ve just been getting better and better and better. 

Betsy’s Page

This would apply to both preventive interventions like vaccines and weight reduction, and to therapy of costly chronic maladies like diabetes and congestive heart failure. .

Diet tips for heart failure

Registered dietitians have some new advice for your patients with heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  

Congestive Heart Failure Symptoms

Predominant congestive heart failure symptoms include shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, water retention and bloating, and an irregular heartbeat. 

Congestive heart failure

Treatments available for congestive heart failure include moderating diets, adjusting activity levels, getting enough sleep, and prescription drugs.  

Related Blogs

• Obese kids more likely to injure legs, ankles, feet | Dr. Walt’s Health Blog
• Pleural Mesothelioma and Pleural Diseases · ArticleMarks
• download Spironolactone weight loss mp3 | Losogor.msk.ru music
• Congestive Heart Failure, What is the mortality rate for a male age 84? | Heart Failure Causes
• I suffer with CHF after a MASSIVE heart attack. Appreciate opinions.? | Heart Failure Causes
• What Is High Blood Pressure? | Health Maker :: Colon Cleanse, Reduce Body Fat …
• Cat Tunnel » Blog Archive » Recumbent Exercise Bike
• vici blog » Blog Archive » Is Spironolactone The Only Option For Women Over 35 With Acn (Naweko San-Joyz)
• Twinity blog » Blog Archive » Ambient occlusion – wait, ambient what?
• Captopril

Technorati Tags: ace inhibitors, adulst stem cells, beta blockers, blocked artery, CHF, Congestive Heart Failure, congestive heart failure symptoms, Heart Attack, heart disease, occlusion, reduce cholesterol, stem cell