What is heart failure? What symptoms does this ailment have? What methods are used to treat heart failure? Is it possible to overcome this ailment with the help of alternative medicine? You can find answers to all these questions in this article.
What is this ailment?
Before answering the question: “How to treat heart failure?”, You need to understand what is at stake. So, this term means a condition of a pathological nature in which the main organ (heart) cannot provide tissues and organs with the right amount of blood for the metabolic process.
There are two forms of heart failure: acute and chronic. In the first case, independent treatment, or with the help of herbs, is out of the question. Since the acute form of the disease is very dangerous. It is in this case that surgical intervention may be necessary.
And with another type of pathology, the use of folk remedies is possible. But in this case, you need total control of a specialist.
How to treat chronic heart failure? The answer to this question will be given in another section of the article.
What are the symptoms of the disease?
Signs of this pathology are weakness with various types of stress and unreasonable (not associated with the common cold) cough, drowsiness. In addition, in such people there is a violation of the gastrointestinal tract.
Often patients ask the question: "How to treat shortness of breath in heart failure?". This is also one of the symptoms of the disease. If you follow all the recommendations of the doctor, as well as taking all the necessary medications, you can get rid of shortness of breath.
In addition, a person with this pathology may experience edema of the extremities, disorientation, and pulmonary wheezing.
More patients with heart failure complain of swelling of the veins of the neck and rapid heart rate, as well as a small amount of urine or its absence. As a result of the latter, edema appears. Because of this, it is difficult for a person to move around. But how to treat edema in heart failure? The answer to this question will also be given in one of the sections of this article. It should be recalled that therapy can be carried out both with the help of medications and folk remedies.
What are the causes of the development of the disease?
As a rule, heart disease is a source of heart failure. These include myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, cardiosclerosis.
Also, the ailment can develop as a result of complications of infectious processes or a heart attack.
Such a pathology as a heart defect also does not allow for pumping function. As a result, some departments are overloaded. Over time, there is a deformation of the heart, which indicates a loss of functional qualities.
Constant or too high blood pressure is a source of exhaustion of the heart muscle.
An ailment such as inflammation of the heart bag is considered to be the reason for limiting the movements of a vital organ for a person.
Another source of this pathology is cardiac tamponade. In this case, we are talking about the accumulation of a large amount of blood in the ventricle. As a result, difficulty in heart contractions occurs.
Extremely high physical loads are also harmful. They are the cause of the rapid depletion of the functionality of the body.
If a large amount of fluid is administered intravenously, an overload of the heart muscle is observed.
Diseases of the liver and kidneys are sources of circulatory overload.
How to treat heart failure in the elderly? Before answering this question, it is necessary to establish the cause of the disease.
Sometimes the source of pathology are several diseases.
A disease such as mitral valve disease inevitably leads to the development of heart failure. The way out of this situation is its prosthetics with the help of surgical intervention.
How does chronic heart failure develop?
The progress of this ailment is gradual. That is, here we are talking about the fact that this pathology develops over several years. And people need to consult a specialist at the beginning of the development of the disease. But this is not always done.
The first signs of the disease begin to appear with strong physical exertion. As a rule, a person complains of shortness of breath and palpitations. Edema is sometimes observed.
In the second degree of insufficiency, persistent disturbances in blood circulation appear. As a result, a person cannot work. But in the second stage, these symptoms disappear at rest.
The latter is characterized by severe dystrophic changes in the organs. At this stage, the tissue structure is already irreversibly damaged. A person feels bad even at rest.
Is it possible to treat heart failure in this case with folk remedies? Yes, but the doctor’s supervision and recommendations are definitely needed.
What are the signs of acute heart failure?
This type of ailment can develop not only because of problems with the main vital organ.
The source of acute heart failure is bleeding or a difficult birth, infection or stroke, as well as an overdose of alcohol or medication.
In addition, this type of ailment is a complication of chronic heart failure. Therefore, when the first symptoms of the disease appear, it is urgent to consult a specialist.
One of the symptoms of an acute condition is a sharp decrease in cardiac output. This symptom is characterized by loss of consciousness and a threadlike pulse.
Another symptom of this type of ailment is increased pressure of the capillaries of the lungs. This case is characterized by a cough with blood, wheezing in the lungs, as well as a sharp difficulty in the lungs. It is when this symptom appears that the question is asked: "How to treat acute heart failure?". In this case, only medication or surgery will come to the rescue. There can be no talk of self-treatment with folk remedies. Since this will only contribute to the aggravation of the situation. You need to know that a fatal outcome is possible that occurs as a result of myocardial infarction.
The next symptom of acute heart failure is a narrowing of the peripheral capillaries. In another way, it is called cardiogenic shock. The person becomes pale, he has no urine, sweating intensifies.
How to provide first aid?
How to treat heart failure? What to do in a situation when a person has this kind of situation?
This ailment is very dangerous for people's lives, therefore, when the first symptoms appear, you should definitely consult a specialist.
If a person becomes ill on the street, it is necessary to call an ambulance by phone.
After that, the patient should be seated on a bench. Legs must be on the ground. Due to this, there will be an outflow of blood from the lungs. If you have such an opportunity, then warm the legs of a person.
To increase the volume of the chest, shoulders should be raised. Note that in this case you do not need to raise your hands.
If the patient does not have symptoms such as a bluish tint of the skin and cold sweat, then he can be given a tablet of nitroglycerin. In the presence of these signs, this drug should in no case be given. Since it can be fatal.
Recommendations for the treatment of ailment
They will be needed in order to avoid further complications. Before answering the question: "How to treat heart failure in the elderly?", Consider some recommendations.
So, therapy includes not only medication, but also the right lifestyle.
This refers to the rejection of tobacco smoking and alcohol abuse. In addition, you should monitor the amount of salt in food. It should be slightly salted. It is also necessary to monitor the amount of fluid drunk. Its volume should not exceed 1.6 liters.
It is still necessary to conduct mandatory control of body weight. Physical activity should also be limited or they should be minimal. In severe condition, only bed rest is recommended .
Treatment with this ailment is considered effective if the patient himself and the attending physician notice that symptoms such as shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat have decreased. In addition, one of the obvious characteristics is an increase in the amount of blood that is ejected by the left ventricle, as well as the absence of clinical manifestations of fluid retention in the tissues.
What drugs are needed for an ailment?
So which medicines treat heart failure? Typically, a standard drug regimen refers to the use of a loop diuretic.
How to treat chronic heart failure? For example, specialists prescribe a drug such as Digoxin. It is the drug that is considered an effective cardiac glycoside. In addition, it is recommended to take it with the above medicines.
In order to reduce the likelihood of developing acute heart failure, Spironolactone is prescribed. If there is concomitant angina pectoris, then nitrate intake is necessary. And anticoagulants are prescribed, in turn, in order to exclude the possibility of blood clots.
How to treat heart failure at home?
As a rule, after carrying out all measures to assist the patient, as well as when his condition has stabilized, he will be discharged from the hospital.
Usually, the treatment regimen is prescribed by a specialist. In addition, you should follow a diet. The result of treatment will be effective if all recommendations are followed. Responsibility, of course, lies with relatives and relatives.
So how to treat heart failure? Be sure to comply with the regime. If a specialist has prescribed the patient to abandon all kinds of loads, then this should be done. Since any small work can lead to complications, for example, to the development of acute heart failure.
Another condition is the establishment of a favorable diet. A person should eat as often as possible and in small portions. It is not recommended to eat very hot or cold food. Also, do not eat after six in the evening.
In addition, it is necessary to remember that the regime of water and salt is observed. This has been discussed in more detail above.
What diet should be followed with an ailment?
How to treat heart failure in the elderly? This item also includes dieting. As a rule, it is appointed by a specialist.
From the diet should be removed foods that contribute to weight gain. These include pasta, fatty meats, white bread, and sweets.
Products must be processed in such a way that they retain a greater amount of nutrients. Vegetables must be brought to half-cooked over low heat. It is best to cook or bake them.
The patient needs to consume about three servings of both vegetables and fruits during the day.
It is strongly not recommended to eat smoked and pickled food. Because they retain water in the human body.
Also, in the patient’s diet there should not be such products as animal fat, meat, fish broth, chocolate, alcohol, coffee, tea.
How to treat heart failure with folk remedies?
A long course of the disease involves the use of non-traditional methods of therapy. In this case, you should know that everything should be consistent with the recommendations of the attending physician. Also, do not forget about the diet and taking medications.
And how to treat heart failure with folk remedies? The fact is that there are many recipes for decoctions and infusions, which are recommended in the presence of this ailment. Each of them will be described in the following sections of the article.
Do not forget that acute heart failure does not involve treatment with alternative medicine. Since here we are talking about an emergency situation in which urgent use of medicines is necessary. Therefore, in this case, you should contact an ambulance.
What tools are needed to improve metabolic processes in the heart muscle?
In this section of the article, recipes for alternative medicine will be considered.
So how to treat cardiopulmonary failure? Very useful is asparagus. To prepare the product, you will need a whole plant. Three tablespoons of asparagus are poured with boiled water, and after infused for a couple of hours. Infusion should be taken every two hours, one large spoon.
Another useful raw material is the herb of the jaundice. To prepare the drug, you need a whole glass of it. The grass will need to be placed in a gauze bag. A glass of sugar and about three liters of cold boiling water are added to it. Infusion should be sent to a warm place for half a month. It is necessary to take this remedy in half a cup three times a day.
Vitamin tea also helps. It nourishes tissue. For its preparation, you will need nettles, blackcurrant berries, rose hips. The contents will need to be poured with boiling water and insisted in a thermos for a couple of hours. After filtering the infusion, add a small spoonful of honey there. It should be taken after a meal.
To stimulate the processes of a regenerative nature, tea from mountain ash and rosehip is recommended. Contents should be infused in a thermos for 60 minutes. After it is filtered, and a small spoonful of honey is also added. It must be consumed instead of regular tea.
What remedies help reduce fluid in the body?
In this section of the article you can find the answer to the question: "How to treat edema in heart failure?".
So, in this case, the tincture of the root of the lovage will come to the rescue. It will take 100 grams of this herb. It is poured with medical alcohol, after which it is sent for a fortnight to a dark place. Ready tincture should be drunk three times a day, one large spoon.
How to treat leg edema in heart failure? Bearberry and hernia collection also helps. The grass will need to be filled with water, and then boiled in a saucepan for 15 minutes. After it should be filtered and consumed three times a day before meals.
How to treat heart failure with folk remedies? The infusion of horsetail, wheatgrass and juniper has a positive effect. The contents are filled with a cup of boiled water, and then infused for half an hour.
To reduce fluid in the body, horsetail with birch leaves is also used. The collection is poured with boiling water and infused. It is necessary to take it in half a cup four times a day.
How to treat leg swelling in heart failure with other herbs? It provides good help in this situation with an infusion of juniper, angelica and cornflower. Insist this broth for half an hour. After strain and drink four times a day. This infusion has a visible positive effect with severe swelling of the legs.
What drugs reduce heart stress?
This section of the article will focus on soothing teas.
So, how to treat heart failure in people? Harvesting herbs such as lemon balm, mint and valerian helps a lot. The contents are poured with a glass of boiled water, after infused for 20 minutes. It must be consumed twice a day in half a cup before meals.
Another collection consists of herbs such as fennel, motherwort and caraway seeds. This collection, which is also poured with boiling water, should be taken four times a day.
How to treat heart failure in the elderly? As a soothing tea, a collection of chamomile, hawthorn, motherwort and cinnamon is suitable. The contents are poured with boiled water in a thermos and infused for 7 hours. This tool should be used three times a day for half a cup before meals.
A little bit about the prevention of the disease
In order not to ask the question: “How to treat heart failure?”, It is necessary to adhere to some recommendations.
If you had an infectious or rheumatic disease, contact a specialist on time. Since it is precisely these ailments that can trigger the development of heart failure.
Preventive examinations should be taken annually. Thanks to them, it will be possible to identify the disease in time and begin the necessary treatment.
Do not overstrain your body with physical activity, but you should not forget about simple charging. No need to abuse alcohol. Do not forget to monitor your diet. It must be balanced, that is, we are talking about a sufficient amount of nutrients, minerals and vitamins.
In the presence of such a bad habit as smoking, it is necessary to abandon it. In addition, it is necessary to monitor the condition of organs such as the kidneys and liver. If there is a violation in their work, blood circulation problems may occur.
Remember that when the first signs of heart failure appear, you must urgently consult a specialist.