Health Matters: Understanding Heart Failure
It happens when the heart can no longer pump enough oxygenated blood throughout the body. “It’s estimated that 5.7 million adults have heart failure with future diagnoses increasing to over 8 million,” said Vicki Hayes, a nurse practitioner with Lee Health.
Things like a heart attack, a virus, or hypertension can cause heart failure. “The biggest thing with heart failure is realizing that the body is starting to hold on to fluid for whatever reason and we need to identify that early,” she said. Other things to notice are swollen ankles and weight gain. “The early signs the patient can look out for are actually abdominal bloating, changes to appetite, and paying attention to their scale,” said Hayes.
While there’s no cure for heart failure, health experts say making lifestyle changes like increasing physical activity, limiting salt, and taking your medications as prescribed can help you better manage the condition.
View More Health Matters video segments at LeeHealth.org/Healthmatters/ Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health – Caring People. Inspiring Care. Visit LeeHealth.org
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