Knowing how to recognize the symptoms of heart failure is crucial if you are responsible for the care of an elderly relative or another loved one with a history of heart problems. When a person has heart failure, it is not because their heart suddenly and completely stops pumping blood. However, heart failure is a progressive degenerative disorder that may lead to catastrophic health events like a heart attack. This is why it is essential to understand the signs or have professional senior home care be around to help your loved one out.
It is possible that heart failure’s development from one stage to the next might be slowed or even halted if the condition is diagnosed and treated at an earlier stage. Knowing the effects of heart failure, who is at risk, and the signs and symptoms it presents is crucial for early diagnosis and maintenance of your loved one’s health.
Learning What Heart Failure Is
To reiterate, heart failure is not a sudden onset but a progressive decline in cardiac and circulation function. It develops as the heart’s ability to pump blood around the body declines. Weakened heart muscle slows the heart’s ability to pump blood, which may lead to an uncomfortable buildup of pressure inside the heart. The heart’s capacity to pump blood throughout the body is negatively impacted because the heart’s valves and chambers expand to accommodate the increased blood volume and subsequently stiffen.
The kidneys respond to heart failure by forcing the body to retain more fluid and salt than usual. Because of this, congestion, or a buildup of fluid in the body’s organs, may occur, causing discomfort.
To our relief, a diagnosis of heart failure, albeit devastating, is not always a death sentence. Heart failure may often be stabilized or even reversed when diagnosed and treated early on. Having senior home care around the house is one of the best ways to ensure a senior can get regular doctor checkups.
The Best Ways to Stop Heart Failure
You probably already know the best ways to stop or prevent heart failure, to begin with, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to follow. A lot of things that can be done reflect how you or your senior is living. Having a healthy lifestyle is crucial to preventing things like heart disease. But things like smoking and drinking are often unhealthy, heard-to-break habits that require patience from you and senior home care. Here are some other things your senior can do to stop heart failure.
- Stay Active- Part of being heart healthy is understanding that a senior should never stop moving. Even those who struggle to move around may benefit from short periods of movement, like chair yoga or small weights while sitting. This can all impact a senior’s heart health.
- Focus on Nutrition- So much in life revolves around food, and this could not be more true about seniors lifestyles and heart health. A senior should be eating less packaged foods and more heart-healthy foods. A seniors provider should know and help you understand what they can and cannot eat.