I feel tired all the time and I get out of breath when I move. What's wrong with me? It may be a sign of heart failure!

Feeling tired, listless, and sleepy

I feel tired and out of breath when I move.

Not "work syndrome"

It's not "post-holiday syndrome"

Maybe it's heart failure.

Heart failure is abbreviated as HF. It has a high morbidity and mortality rate. It is the late stage of various cardiovascular diseases and a very difficult problem in clinical practice. The main manifestations are dyspnea, fatigue and fluid retention (pulmonary congestion, systemic congestion and peripheral edema) .

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If the heart is compared to a house, then the valves are equivalent to the "doors" and the myocardium is equivalent to the "walls" .

Heart failure is caused by a variety of reasons that lead to abnormal changes in these "gates" or "walls", weakening the myocardium's ability to relax or contract, thereby reducing the heart's blood output, which is insufficient to meet the body's needs, and the blood in the organs and tissues cannot flow back to the heart smoothly.

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To put it more vividly, the heart's blood return or blood pumping function declines, and the heart is like a "ball" with reduced elasticity or a "water pump" with insufficient power .

People with hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, a history of using cardiotoxic drugs, a history of alcoholism, a history of rheumatic fever, a family history of cardiomyopathy, etc. are at high risk of heart failure. These diseases are all risk factors for heart failure.

According to the occurrence and development process of heart failure, it can be divided into four stages, from the development of high-risk factors of heart failure to refractory end-stage heart failure.

Stage A (heart failure risk factor stage): There are risk factors, but the heart structure and function are normal and there are no clinical symptoms.

Stage B (pre-heart failure stage): Examination reveals abnormalities in heart structure and function, but no clinical symptoms have yet appeared.

Stage C (clinical heart failure stage): Symptoms such as decreased activity tolerance, fatigue, dyspnea, and lower limb edema appear , as well as abnormal cardiac structure and function, accompanied by abnormal increases in plasma markers. Physical examination, imaging, and other evidence suggest congestion in the systemic and pulmonary circulation.

Stage D (refractory heart failure stage) : Repeated hospitalization, need for intravenous medication, and may require a heart transplant and artificial heart.

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It is worth noting that once heart failure progresses to the next stage, the risk increases greatly, which may lead to irreversible consequences . Therefore, it is very important to strengthen the control of risk factors in stages A and B and prevent heart failure!

1. Improve your lifestyle

1. Control your weight: It is recommended that your body mass index (BMI) be controlled between 18.5 and 23.9 . Waist circumference should be controlled between <90cm for men and <85cm for women .

2. Balanced nutrition diet: Eat more unsaturated fatty acid foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-sodium and low-fat dairy products, etc. Eat appropriate amounts of fish, and try not to drink sugary drinks.

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3. Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption: In addition to quitting smoking, the general public should not drink alcohol or drink in small amounts. Men should not drink more than 25 grams of pure alcohol per day, and women should not drink more than 15 grams of pure alcohol. People with alcoholic cardiomyopathy must quit drinking!

Pay attention! The formula for calculating pure alcohol is: alcohol intake (g) = alcohol consumption (ml) * alcohol concentration (%) * alcohol density (0.8). For example, if someone drinks 2 taels of wine (100 ml) and the alcohol content is 50%, then the amount of alcohol he drinks is 100 ml * 50% * 0.8 = 40 grams.

4. Strengthen physical exercise: It is recommended to conduct a comprehensive rehabilitation assessment and perform aerobic exercise, resistance exercise and stretching exercise under the guidance of a doctor.

5. Pay attention to mental health: If you have mental stress or other conditions, it is recommended to go to the hospital's psychiatric department for treatment and receive medication if necessary.

2. Drug prevention

Control the "three highs", that is, control high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high blood lipids . Never stop taking the medicine privately when you feel that your body is getting better or the indicators are normal.

Risk factors should be diagnosed and treated by specialists, long-term medication should be used, and regular follow-up should be maintained.

3. Early Screening

When heart failure enters stage C, patients will experience shortness of breath when walking, lower limb edema, and general fatigue. However, patients in stages A and B may ignore the diagnosis and treatment of early heart failure because they have no symptoms .

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Going to the hospital for screening can help you detect signs of heart failure as early as possible. High-risk groups should pay special attention to regular screening, which includes symptoms/signs, brain natriuretic peptide and myocardial markers, echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, and chest X-ray .

The heart is the most important organ in the human body

He is also a well-deserved "model worker"

Focus on heart health

Heart failure is not scary

Prevention is key