Heart Failure Explained: Signs, Care, and Recovery Tips

Heart failure happens when the heart muscle (myocardium) doesn't pump blood as well as it should. When the failure occurs, blood often goes back up and fluid can build up in the lungs, causing shortness of breath.

Heart failure can be life-threatening; your heart can't supply adequate blood to meet your body's requirements. Hence, consult a heart specialist at the best cardiology hospital in Kolkata if you experience chest pain, fainting, severe weakness, rapid or irregular heartbeat with shortness of breath, chest pain or fainting, and sudden, intense shortness of breath and coughing up white or pink, foamy mucus. Only a medical expert can provide an accurate diagnosis and recommend the appropriate treatment.

Read Also: How To Check Your Heart Health: Tests, Signs & Prevention Tips

What Happens in Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF). The muscles of the heart become too weak or stiff to pump blood efficiently. This causes blood to back up, fluid to accumulate in the lungs and body, and oxygen-rich blood does not reach the organs.

Hence, you can experience the following symptoms:

1. Accumulation of Fluid (Congestion)

Swelling in the legs, ankles, and feet.

2. Poor Pumping Efficiency (Heart Cannot Meet Your Body’s Demand)

You can experience fatigue, weakness, and poor exercise tolerance.

3. Heart Compensation Mechanisms

To compensate, your heart develops more muscle mass (hypertrophy), beats faster (tachycardia), and works even harder, further weakening it over time (remodeling).

4. Issues With Kidney and Digestion

 A lesser blood supply to the kidney means fluid retention. Lowered flow to the digestive system may cause nausea or appetite loss.

5. Cognitive Impairment

Insufficient blood flow to the brain can trigger confusion or memory loss.

Timely consultation from the best cardiologist in Kolkata can address the underlying cause and prevent further complications.

Read Also: Heart Attack: Recognizing the Warning Signs and Taking Action

What Is the First Stage of Heart Failure?

Individuals in Stage A have risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, obesity, or a family history of heart failure, yet there can be an absence of signs of heart dysfunction.

How Long Does Heart Failure Last

Heart failure is a long-term, progressive condition that continues for the rest of a person's life. However, its impact and life expectancy may vary widely based on stage, treatment, and individual health factors.

Key Facts:

• HF does not mean the heart has stopped working. 
• It simply means the heart is not pumping as well as it should.
• CHF is a chronic condition that cannot be cured permanently but can be managed with medication, lifestyle changes, and treatment under the guidance of a cardiologist in Kolkata.

Common Causes of CHF

Heart failure can be caused by a weakened, damaged, or stiff pumping chamber of the heart because of conditions such as:

• Coronary artery disease and heart attack.
• High blood pressure.
• Heart valve disease.
• Inflammation of the heart muscle, also called myocarditis.
• Congenital heart defect (A heart condition that you're born with).
• Irregular heart rhythms.
• Some long-term diseases (diabetes, HIV infection, an overactive or underactive thyroid, or a buildup of iron or protein) may contribute to chronic heart failure. 

What Does Living With Heart Failure Look Like

It mainly involves actively managing a chronic condition via daily weight monitoring, strict low-sodium diets, medication adherence, and performing tailored exercise.

Here are the key aspects of your day:

1. Managing daily symptoms such as swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, or abdomen, and maintaining weight.
2. Making heart-healthy lifestyle modifications such as quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, and managing stress.
3. Adapting to varying levels of fatigue and limitations.

Follow Heart Failure Care Tips

Taking the doctor’s prescribed medicine and following the heart-healthy habits can help you achieve better health outcomes.

The Do's	The Don'ts
Consume a low-sodium diet	Limit high-sodium foods
Monitor daily weight	Ignore sudden gain or swelling
Take meds as prescribed	Skip doses
Do light exercise	Overexert
Limit fluids	Excess fluids or alcohol
Regular check-ups	Smoke

Heart Failure Treatment

Experts at the best cardiology hospital in Kolkata personalize treatment for you that focuses on relieving symptoms, slowing disease progression, reducing hospitalizations, and improving survival.

The treatment may be based on the severity of the condition and other individual factors, such as ejection fraction and other conditions:

• Medicines like beta‑blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and SGLT‑2 inhibitors.
• Control blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, and obesity.
• Implantable cardioverter‑defibrillator (ICD) and Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) for high‑risk patients.
• Lifestyle modifications.

Best Cardiology Hospital in Kolkata | IRIS Multispeciality Hospital

IRIS Multispeciality Hospital in Kolkata is the leading center for heart condition treatment and management, backed by expert cardiologists, advanced diagnostics, and personalized physiotherapy-based rehabilitation. 

With a patient-centered approach concentrating on safety and outcomes, our team empowers you to reclaim an active, heart-healthy life.

Looking for the best treatment for heart failure management in Kolkata, India? Schedule a call at +91 8929579509.

Our Address: 82/1, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700047 Open: 24x7

Our Experts:

• Dr. Avisekh Saha (18 Years)
• Dr. Amitava Das
• Dr. Debopriyo Mondal
• Dr. Supratip Kundu