congestive heart disease symptoms

cardiac symptoms, or symptoms of congestive heart failure, a condition that occurs when the heart is not enough blood to pump to the normal requirements of the body tissue. Herzinsuffizienz interference with the normal function of the kidney to the removal of sodium and other waste from the body. Heart failure may affect either the right side, left side or both sides of the heart. There are many diseases that affect the efficiency of pumps and symptoms of heart failure, including fatigue, decreased exercise, shortness of breath, and swelling. Today, however, there are many effective measures that can be used to improve symptoms and survival of patients with heart failure.

While all cardiac conditions, the symptoms of chest pain and breathing difficulties, heart failure has a very particular set of symptoms and laboratory results, the doctors a fixed set of indicators on which to base a definitive diagnosis.

Dyspnea, or difficulty breathing, coupled with severe edema (when the body retains fluid to the point of holding the imprint of an object that is inserted into the skin for a few minutes) are usually the first symptoms, to heart failure. Heart failure results in the heart incapable of efficiently pump blood through the body, as a result, fluid accumulates not be removed and causes the body to swell, as if it were a water balloon. Non-pitting edema, or fluid retention, which are not in possession of an imprint, not by heart failure and indicates that another diagnosis should be. The patient may also be a frothy pink sputum when they cough.

In addition to the symptoms associated with fluid accumulation, general weakness and malaise, especially in times of physical exertion are common symptoms of patients with heart failure, and should not be ignored. This is due to a lack of nutrients and oxygen from the blood into body tissues and may cause permanent damage to internal organs if it is without these key elements for a longer period. Anuria, or lack of urination, is also probative force of heart failure as fluid accumulates in the tissues and not excreted as normal. Patients suffer from a mental status changed by the accumulation of toxins in the body.

Once the doctor suspects heart failure based on physical evidence, blood samples are sent to the laboratory. BNP, or Beta-natriuretic peptide, is excellent for screening in suspected cases of heart failure. This hormone is used in larger quantities of the heart muscle is not as fluid levels rise, with a height one hundred-five one hundred pg / mg what heart failure and more than five hundred are fairly diagnostic, but an elevated BNP should not be considered sufficient evidence to justify the crucial basis for a diagnosis, because the conditions such as renal failure, ventricular strain, tumors or hypoxia can also lead to the BNP levels to rise. Arterial blood gases will be tested to the degree of hypoxemia. A decreased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, proteinuria (protein in urine), and mild azotemia (elevated blood urea level) is apparent in the early to moderately severe disease. An increased serum creatinine, hyperbilirubinemia (increased bilirubin in the blood), and dilutional hyponatremia (decreased serum sodium) are also signs that the patient suffers from an advanced case of heart failure.

Radiology can also imaging studies to assess the condition of the heart. A chest x-ray usually shows cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart) and pleural effusion (fluid around the heart). An echocardiogram is carried out to determine the internal structures of the heart to assess for structural abnormalities, as in the case of mitral stenosis. This constitutes a confirmation that the underlying cause of heart failure, particularly in suspected cases of heart valve disease.

Doctors are like detectives, that once these tests were all run they will have those parts of the evidence together to create a fairly accurate picture of the patient's condition so that an accurate diagnosis, proper treatment.

Today there are many effective measures that can be used to improve symptoms and survival of patients with heart failure.