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Causes And Symptoms Of Congestive Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF), commonly known as congestive heart failure (CHF) is the leading cause of hospitalization in people ages 65 and older. The good thing is heart healthy future is well within reach which is possible by adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Congestive heart failure is a serious condition in which the ticker cannot pump enough oxygenated blood to meet the needs of your body. CHF doesn’t mean that your ticker has stopped functioning or will in the near future. Cardiovascular disease, in fact develops over time as your ticker weakens and becomes incapable of supplying the cells with the necessary amount of blood.

Symptoms:
You may start experiencing certain symptoms as CHF causes your ticker to grow weaker. Seek medical attention right away if you are experiencing a combination of symptoms, such as shortness of breath, fatigue and weakness, rapid or irregular heartbeats, weight gain, congested lungs and swollen ankles, legs and abdomen.

Causes:
There are both controllable and uncontrollable causes of CHF with some of the most common causes being

1.      High Blood Pressure (HBP)- High blood pressure levels can weaken your ticker over time leading to accumulation of plaque in your arteries that can weaken flow of blood.
2.      Post Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) - An event of MI results in damaged heart tissue that contributes to a weakened blood flow.
3.      Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) - CAD is accumulation of plaque in the arteries that can lead to blood clot formation, which can affect flow of blood by partially or completely blocking blood flow to and from the ticker.

CHF Treatment:
There are no two ways about prevention being the best form of CHF treatment, which could be achieved by making heart healthy lifestyle changes, including limiting your cardiovascular disease risk factors as well as managing your blood pressure levels and blood sugar. It is advisable that you consult your doctor to learn about the appropriate medications, surgical options or medical devices to avoid future complications- if you do experience HF in your lifetime.

Heart disease also increases the risk for cardiac emergencies like a cardiac arrest or heart attack. A victim involved in such an emergency would require immediate treatment for survival. The most appropriate treatment is proper application of the life-saving CPR procedure that comprises chest compressions and rescue breaths. Select an accredited training site for acquiring CPR training, such as the AHA certified CPR Kansas City where our training courses teach the correct techniques to assist a cardiac arrest victim as the courses inform how to keep the blood flowing in a victim.

Become certified at the end of the training classes after successfully passing a skills test and written exam. An AHA CPR provider card comes with a validity of 2 years meaning you’ll have to go for a refresher course to extend the validity of your provider card. Regular CPR recertification will ensure that you know about the latest information relating to the life-saving technique.
Contact CPR Kansas City on 913-998-7499 for more information.

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