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L i v e Yo u n g e r L o n g e r
Hea
How you can take control
Problems at the pump
Normally, blood is pumped through the
right side of your heart to your lungs, where
it picks up oxygen. It then goes back to the
left side of the heart, where it’s pumped out
to the rest of your body. Heart failure may
affect either the right or the left side of the
heart — or both.
In left-sided heart failure
—
the type
that usually develops first — the heart has
trouble moving blood to the body, which
causes the blood to back up. Right-sided
heart failure may follow later.
You might have also heard the term
congestive heart failure
. When blood
backs up, it can cause congestion in the
body’s tissues. This can lead to swelling
in the feet, legs and other areas of the
body, as well as weight gain. When fluid
accumulates in the lungs, it can cause
shortness of breath and coughing,
especially when lying down.
Other possible heart failure symptoms
include irregular heartbeat, wheezing,
fatigue and confusion.
It beats roughly 100,000
times, sending about
6 quarts of blood on more
than 4,300 round trips
through the body. In the
process, it provides
life-sustaining oxygen
and nutrients to trillions
of living cells. That’s what
the heart does every day
— all without ever taking
a break. It’s impressive to
hear — and maybe a little
frightening, too, if you’ve
been diagnosed with heart
failure. After all,
heart failure
sounds like the heart has
stopped doing its job.
Actually, that’s not the case. Heart failure
is a condition in which the heart doesn’t
pump blood as well as it should.
“For most people, though, it’s also highly
manageable. With a doctor’s help and a
commitment to following a treatment plan,
you can take charge of heart failure and
have a good quality of life,” says David R.
Ploss, MD, an experienced interventional
David R. Ploss, MD, Interventional
Cardiologist and Cardiac
Electrophysiologist
cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist
at Ukiah Valley Medical Center’s Adventist
Heart Institute.
Diagnosis:
