LIVING WITH CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE

While much depends on the cause and severity, it is possible to live with congestive heart failure. At its most basic, heart failure means having a very weak heart muscle; taking action to build muscle strength can help improve and extend your life. Living with congestive heart failure often means making lifestyle changes – such as losing weight, eating healthier, and reducing salt in your diet – as well as prescription medications and other treatments. Heart failure cannot always be cured, but you can take steps to make your life better.

Living with Heart Failure

While heart failure can develop on its own, it’s often the result of another health condition. This means that different people who are living with heart failure may have different restrictions and guidelines, depending on what caused it to begin with. That said, there are a number of everyday actions that you can take to live a longer, better life when you have congestive heart failure or CHF.

In many cases, such as when heart failure is caused by “lifestyle diseases” like type 2 diabetes or coronary artery disease, improving your diet, getting more exercise, and quitting unhealthy habits like smoking can all help you live better. Because this condition typically leads to shortness of breath and fatigue, the changes needed to live with congestive heart failure can be difficult at first. Don’t push yourself into exercise too hard – start out slowly and with the guidance of your doctors, a physical therapist, and other trained medical professionals.

Talk to a dietician about how to improve your diet in a healthy way. These professionals can help you develop meal plans to make sticking to a better diet easier. Many people also find that working with a mental health professional can help them to deal with the stress and anxiety that comes with a heart failure diagnosis. If you’re struggling with drug or alcohol abuse, an addiction specialist may be able to help.

Are there any congestive heart failure treatments?

CHF is usually treated as a chronic condition, which means that it must be managed on an ongoing basis. Living with congestive heart failure often means taking a combination of medicines to help lower your blood pressure and improve blood flow, decreasing the strain on your heart. Other medications may be used to strengthen the heart’s contractions and improve pumping.

Surgery and medical devices may also be used to allow the heart to perform better. When CHF is caused by blocked arteries, a coronary bypass may be performed. Heart valve problems can also sometimes be treated with surgery to repair or replace the faulty valve. Someone with severe heart failure that cannot be treated by other methods may be a candidate for heart transplant.

A number of surgical devices are also available to help keep the heart beating, to keep it beating more efficiently, or to help pump the blood throughout the body. An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) uses electricity to try to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm if needed, while biventricular pacing uses timed electrical impulses to keep the heart rhythm coordinated. In severe cases, a ventricular assist device (VAD) may be implanted in individuals who are waiting for a heart transplant (or who cannot have one) to help a failing heart to pump blood.

Listen to your doctor

Those who are living with congestive heart failure that requires medication or surgical treatment must take care to follow the advice of their doctors carefully. There are some medications that someone living with heart failure should not take, for example, including NSAID painkillers like ibuprofen; medications that include high amounts of sodium, including some cold remedies and heartburn medicines; and a variety of herbal remedies. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about any prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines you’re taking to avoid dangerous interactions.

People who have implanted medical devices must use caution around strong magnetic fields, as they could cause problems with the device. These implants could also be damaged by some types of exercises, such as those that include lifting heavy weights or extreme, ongoing upper-body motions. Your doctor or physical therapist should explain any lifestyle limitations of these treatments.

What is the average congestive heart failure life expectancy?

How long you can live with congestive heart failure depends very much on how advanced your condition is and what you are doing to treat it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 50% of those with heart failure will die within 5 years. Additional research strongly suggests that those who are diagnosed early and follow a recommended treatment plan can live longer, healthier lives.

Because heart failure is a chronic condition, it’s important to make the recommended improvements to your diet and exercise, and to eliminate dangerous habits like smoking. Sticking to your medication regimen is also vital. The key to living longer with heart failure is to slow down its progress and stop it from getting worse.

You can learn more about congestive heart failure from the Heart Failure Society of America and The American Heart Association.