By: Kyra Alexander

 Heart Failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood into the rest of the body.  Often a long-term (Chronic) condition  Can develop suddenly  Can be caused by many different heart problems. ◦ Most common: Coronary Artery Disease

 Congenital Heart Disease  Heart attack  Heart valve disease  Infection that weakens the heart muscle  Some types of abnormal heart rhythms  Overactive Thyroid  Sarcoidosis  Severe anemia  Too much iron in the body  Underactive Thyroid

 Systolic heart failure: Your heart muscle cannot pump the blood out of the heart very well.  Diastolic heart failure: Your heart muscles are stiff and do not fill up with blood easily.  These problems mean that the heart is no longer able to pump enough oxygen-rich blood out to the rest of your body

 As the heart’s pumping becomes less effective, blood may back up in other areas of the body.  Fluid may build up in the lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and the arms and legs. this is called : Congestive Heart Failure

 Cough  Fatigue  Weakness  Faintness  Loss of appetite  Need to urinate at night  Irregular pulse  Shortness of breath  Swollen liver or abdomen  Swollen feet and ankles  Weight gain

 Fast or difficult breathing  Leg swelling  Neck veins that stick out  Sounds from fluid buildup in the lungs

 Echocardiogram: allows doctors to see the heart beating, the valves and other structures of the heart.  Blood Tests: ◦ Help diagnose and monitor heart failure ◦ Identify risks for heart disease ◦ Look for possible causes of heart failure, or problems that can make your heart failure worse ◦ Monitor for side effects of medicines you may be taking

 Some surgeries that may be used are: ◦ Coronary bypass surgery ◦ Heart Valve surgery ◦ Pacemaker ◦ Defibrillator

 Monitoring and Self care  If you have heart failure, you will have follow up appointments every 3-6 months.  Medication: Treat the symptoms, prevent heart failure from getting worse, and help you live longer. ◦ Help heart muscle pump better ◦ Keep blood from clotting ◦ Lower cholesterol levels ◦ Open blood vessels or slow your heart rate so your heart does not have to work so hard ◦ Reduce damage to the heart ◦ Rids body of excess fluid and salt.