Congestive Heart Failure

Question: Can anyone help me understand about congestive heart failure? My gandmother is 81 and she had a stroke about 2 years ago, which has left her paralized on her left side. Last night she was admitted into the hospital with congestive heart failure. What does this mean and what are the chances of her living through this?

Answer: Sorry about your grandmother; I know it must be difficult for you. Congestive heart failure means the heart muscle is weakening and is becoming unable to keep up with the demands of keeping the body supplied with oxygen. This is considered a chronic condition, but there are treatments such as medications and devices that can assist the heart. Your grandmother's doctors will also consider her age when deciding on treatment.

Question: How do you prevent congestive heart failure? I have lost two grandparents, an aunt and an uncle...all died of congestive heart failure. It looks like an awful way to die. Is this genetic? What can I do now, while I am young, to keep it from happening to me when I am older? Am I doomed from my genetics? Can I prevent it?

Answer: Prevention Treat your high blood pressure with diet, exercise, and medication if necessary. Treat your high cholesterol with diet, exercise, and medication if necessary. DO NOT smoke Avoid alcohol use Take an ACE inhibitor if you have heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure. Treat arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) and keep your heart rate under control. Treat an underlying thyroid disorder. Also, consider the following lifestyle habits, especially if you have a strong family history of CHF: Reduce salt intake. Exercise Please see the webages for more details on Heart failure.

Question: What are the risks of getting pregnant with Moderate Congestive heart Failure? I am 31 and had a heart condtion that has turned into congestive heart failure. I have no children, and have been put on Coreg (heart medication) and Avapro (to dialate my blood vessels and lower my blood pressure) if we can get my heart stronger my husband wants me to try to have our own child, but i think its to risky. I have an ejection fraction right now of 35% and BNP of 465 currently. Any advise? I think its to much of a risk for my heart...i would love to hear from anyone.

Answer: Please, please, please talk this over with your cardiologist. The risk depends on the cause of your cardiomyopathy and noone on Yahoo has enough information on your condition to advise you properly. In fact, depending on the type of cardiomyopathy you have, pregnancy could kill you. And you should absolutely not become pregnant on avapro. Talk to your doctor. And good luck.

Question: Do people with congestive heart failure throw up? My Dad was hospitalized for congestive heart failure a couple of years ago and did not heed calls to lose weight or to stop eating so much. Now he just sits in his chair (in fact also sleeps in his chair because he has to sleep sitting up due to congestion) and watches tv. He can't go get the newspaper without having trouble walking and has to sit down and rest while doing anything, like even cooking his breakfast. Now, he has been throwing up. Do you think this is related to his congestive heart failure?

Answer: sing and symptom of chronic heart failure: --Fatigue and weakness --Rapid or irregular heartbeat --Shortness of breath (dyspnea) when you exert yourself or when you lie down --Reduced ability to exercise --Persistent cough or wheezing with white or pink blood-tinged phlegm --Swelling (edema) in your legs, ankles and feet --Swelling of your abdomen (ascites) --Sudden weight gain from fluid retention --Lack of appetite and *nausea * --Difficulty concentrating or decreased alertness as you see nausea is a symptom of CHF that may leading to throwing up.

Question: Help with essay on congestive heart failure? I need to write a paper on the following. Does anyone know of any good websites with good information: “Your mother’s elderly aunt has congestive heart failure. Your mother asks you what does this mean? Explain in detail what has happened to the cardiovascular system, the normal compensations which occur but make the situation wore and value of medications and therapies prescribed by the physician in charge. What does "wore" mean in this context?

Answer: Try the AHA and medicinenet.com websites as both are very valuable resources. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.j… http://www.medicinenet.com/congestive_he…

Question: My dog has congestive heart failure. can i give him an extra dose of furosemide? My dog has congestive heart failure. He has been doing bad lately and the docter hasn't been in to see him. We are going to put him down tuesday but until then we want to make him as comfortable as possible. I was wondering if anyone knows if it is okay to give him a second dose of furosemide 20mg pills even if it wasn't directed by the doctor to do so?

Answer: Normally, I'd say no. But in this case, I can't see any harm. Since he'll be put down soon, it can only make him more comfortable. Best of luck.

Question: Can someone get better from congestive heart failure? My grandmother just went into the hospital, and was told she has congestive heart failure. She also has emphysema. However, she is being released after they drained a lot of fluid from her. (Sorry for the lack of medical termenology). Can she recover from the heart failure? I know she cannot recover from the emphysema, but I thought once you had heart failure, there was nothing they could do...is this true? I know this is not enough detail to say for sure, any answer would be great. Thanks in advance.

Answer: Congestive heart failure can be treated with medicines and most people get good relief. There are several persons fairly controlled on medications, living for years. If there is a reversible cause which can be corrected by surgery or angioplasty, then the results are much better. There is a modern type of pacemaker which can be used to treat selected cases of congestive heart failure known as cardiac resynchronization therapy. There is also a final option of heart transplantation, though often done only in younger individuals.

Question: If you have congestive heart failure, will you get better? My 63 yr old mother found out she has congestive heart failure. She had triple bypass surgery 4 years ago and has recently gained 30lbs of water. What kind of medications are used to treat congestive heart failure? Anything other than diuretics?

Answer: Must maintain a low sodium low fat diet. Take diuretics as indicated. Exercise like walking. Weigh daily, gain of 5 lbs or more call the Dr. May have edema(fluids) in the legs. I take diuretics and high blood pressure medication. Take other heart medications due to another heart condition. Living with heart failure for the past 8 yrs. Heart failure is treatable.

Question: Is there any new medications for dogs with congestive heart failure? 7 yr old, fox terrier was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and is on lasix and enalapril. He fills up with fluid and is very uncomfortable! Is there any new meds out there!?

Answer: Your vet is doing all he/she can. I had a yorki diagnosed with CHF and with those meds lived for 1 more year.

Question: Congestive Heart Failure Patients have how long to live after? I had congestive heart failure in 2003 and now it continues to be a problem with me. I feel weak, have fainting spells, just tired all of the time. I asked the question? About how long to live? if no surgery for heart replacement.

Answer: I bet you are on statin drugs. They cause permanent muscle damage, including the heart muscle. That is called congestive heart failure. The fatigue could be do to the statin drug. The depression and memory loss are also do to the drug. You are being poisoned. Even if statins did not cause the CHF, they sure can make you feel like you are dieing. Pharmacist who's life was almost ruined by Lipitor