Читать книгу Predicting Heart Failure - Группа авторов - Страница 17

HF may be faced if one or more of the following symptoms are present. For example, if someone is tired earlier than before even though they are doing the same activity, this might be a symptom. This symptom should not be confused with early fatigue due to old age – a 55-year-old person should compare and interpret their symptoms according to their current age, not to what it was at the age of 45 or younger.

Another symptom of HF is loss of appetite, which can be related to other ailments. Therefore, the loss of appetite that occurs without any external cause should be evaluated. Another symptom associated with loss of appetite may be nausea, which can also occur with extreme sensitivity to some foods and certain odors. Due to HF, blood accumulates in the abdomen and presses on the intestinal wall and stomach. This pressure causes loss of appetite and nausea.

HF can also cause shortness of breath, but is not, of course, the only cause of this; severe shortness of breath is possible in the case of advanced bronchitis and asthma, which includes narrowing of the airways and chest, and a wheezing sound from the lungs. Shortness of breath caused by HF occurs due to pulmonary edema. It is accompanied by fatigue and weakness, caused by heart-induced constriction; shortness of breath is caused by bronchitis or asthma and, similarly, often by overweight and obesity. Shortness of breath experienced without an external cause should be taken seriously.

Everyone has a certain gradual transition in weight gain and weight loss. Under normal conditions, this situation does not develop suddenly, so sudden weight gain might be associated with HF. The relationship between HF and weight gain is related to the weakness of some organs in performing their duties due to the inability of the heart. When the calories taken into the body through food are more than the calories consumed by the body, this excess is stored as fat. Insulin resistance develops due to excess fat in the body and one of the diseases caused by insulin resistance is HF. The measurement of excess fat is carried out with the help of the body weight index (BMI). Those with a BMI of 25–29.9 are considered overweight and those with a BMI over 30 are considered obese. In addition, these values change depending on age. While the normal BMI values for 25–35-year-olds are 20–25, this BMI value is 24–29 for those over 65 years old.

One of the most important indicators of possible heart disease is chest pain. Sometimes people may panic due to the sensitivity of the subject. Some problems in the digestive system, such as bloating in the stomach, can cause chest pain and tightness in the chest area. However, it is best not to leave it to chance.

Coughing and related sputum production of pink or white color may also be a harbinger of HF. As will be appreciated, heart disease is not the only cause of a cough, but it is one of its causes.

Interrelated heart palpitations and pulse irregularities are also associated with HF. In addition, swelling of the ankles, legs, and abdomen due to edema can occur as a result of right-sided heart problems. Seeing one or more of these problems can also be viewed as a symptom.

People often find themselves in a state of indolence when they are low in morale. They want to sleep all the time and cannot easily concentrate on any task. The condition that manifests itself as in the body may sometimes indicate a heart problem.

Two other problems with HF are frequent urination at night and the prominence of blood vessels in the neck. The accumulated blood in the abdominal region of HF patients who go into a supine position enters the circulation. As a result, the kidneys detect excess volume and this increases urination. HF can be suspected if blood sugar is normal but there is frequent urination at night.

When at least one of these symptoms is noticed, often by the person themself, the control phase should start and the doctor should be consulted for diagnosis without delay. Even if going to the doctor does not solve the HF, it will contribute to one’s survival time and quality of life [2].