As the name suggests, heart failure is a term used to describe what happens when the heart muscle doesn’t pump blood as it should. The condition can occur because other illnesses have damaged the heart in some way. Since Blacks are more likely to be diagnosed with heart failure than other ethnicities, it’s important to know how to live well with the disease. Here are a few of the ways your life can change after your diagnosis.
1. The Disease Needs To Be Staged
Unlike a heart attack, heart failure usually happens gradually. That means the illness has different stages and your doctor will need to determine where you are so you can be treated effectively.
The disease is staged from A to D, which marks how poorly your heart is performing. Once the doctor knows the stage of your heart failure, they will recommend a treatment to prevent the progression of the disease.
2. Monitoring Will Continue
Though the doctor will implement measures to prevent your heart failure from getting worse, it doesn’t always work in the long term. Additionally, heart failure can affect your other organs and systems. To ensure that you’re healthy, the doctor will continue to monitor your heart and overall health with regular visits.
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3. The Root Cause Must Be Determined
As mentioned previously, heart failure can be caused by different issues. Chronic illnesses such as diabetes, thyroid problems, or a congenital heart defect can affect the heart. If you’ve had a heart attack or deal with myocarditis, these can also be the source of heart failure.
In rare circumstances, a sudden illness or infection can cause heart failure as well. Regardless of the cause, one key element to treating heart failure will be taking care of what caused the issue in the first place.
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4. You’ll Have A Medical Regimen
The medications used to treat heart failure can vary widely depending on the cause and stage of the condition.
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However, some of the likely drugs include angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, diuretics, beta-blockers, angiotensin II receptor blockers, and aldosterone antagonists. It’s important to stick to your regimen and let your doctor know if the medications are
