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Is Congestive Heart Failure Treatable?

In most of the cases, the congestive heart failure is usually treatable providing that the patient sticks throughout the treatment procedure. The procedure will also involve lifestyle changes along with medications. Sometimes it may happen so that the patient has to have medicines for the rest of his life. The treatment procedure includes treating the problems associated with the congestive heart failure like blood pressure or even diabetes as the case may be.

What are the treatment procedures in congestive heart failure? Treatments for congestive heart failure may include a mixture of various methods. They include-

Medicines- Medicinal treatment may be prescribed to a patient with congestive heart disease. Medicines help the heart and its blood vessels to function well. Medicinal treatment includes prescription of various medications like vasodilators, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors and diuretics. Diuretics help in the removal of fluid accumulation from the body. AVE inhibitors are used to lower the blood pressure so that blood circulation throughout the body is not affected. The work of beta blockers is to ensure the proper pumping of the heart.

Lifestyle Changes- Bringing a healthy lifestyle change is a part of the treatment process. The patient has to stay active and invest some time of the day in exercise regularly to keep the symptoms and problems at bay. It helps keeping the body with and strengthens the muscles. Exercising can keep the body weight normal.

Surgery- In extreme cases or according to the need of the patient, the method of surgery may be used to introduce a mechanical heart pump in the body. In case or severe heart failure, the doctor may recommend going for a heart transplant surgery.

What are the Tests Used To Diagnose Congestive Heart Failure?

With the medical advancement in recent years, there are a number of diagnostic tests available to confirm the presence of congestive heart failure. They include-

ECG: An ECG is a non-invasive quick test to find out the problem of congestive heart disease. Any abnormal functioning like improper heart bear and rhythm can be detected in the test.

Stress Test: Stress tests are nothing, but an ECG when the patient is exposed to stress of varying levels. The doctor conducts an ECG test on the patient while making his heart work faster.

Echocardiogram: Echocardiogram can help in checking the structure of the heart and its movements. If the heart muscles are unable to contract well, it can be found out in this test.

Blood Test: Sometimes the patient may be asked to go for a blood test. Through blood test the level of a specific hormone can be checked which is known to increase if the patient has heart failure.

MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a method to take images of the heart which is one of the best diagnostic methods to check for congestive heart failure.

Angiography: Angiography is another widely used method to check for blockages in the blood vessels contributing to congestive heart failure.

Conclusion

There are various ways to treat the disease. Medicines used in the treatment protocol are aimed to stop the symptoms of the disease. They are used to keep the blood pressure and cholesterol level normal. Lifestyle changes are of the most important of all the treatment procedures. No matter how much medications are used, the symptoms will keep coming back if healthy lifestyle is not chosen. Reducing fluid and salt intake is of primary importance because excessive water and salt intake facilitates fluid accumulation in the body. Routine exercise is must to keep the body weight normal and ensure proper internal functioning. In severe cases of congestive heart failure, the doctor may ask the patient to undergo surgery to improve the quality of life.

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Is Congestive Heart Failure Treatable?