CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE IN SENIORS

Aged people suffer from a very common disease known as the Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). Usually, blood is circulated all through the body in a few seconds by a healthy heart. But the blood backs up into the lungs and other parts of the body when a heart fails to work properly. A human body thus suffers from disorders like shortness of breath, swelling in the feet, legs, and hands due to this retreat of fluid.

 

The pumping of adequate blood due to a failure of heart may result in mild or sometimes severe physical disorders. Hospitalization of the elderly can be avoided if an early treatment is provided. It is to be remembered that a hospital stay for the elderly can be quite taxing. The patients may lose weight and can’t recover from it. Often they become weak and fail to walk; so they may be admitted in nursing homes for rehabilitation.

 

Patients with CHF develop an enlarged heart because the pumping action of the heart requires lot of strength. However, a timely treatment can improve its condition. Through daily medications, rest, stress reduction, low salt intake and sometimes limiting fluid intake, CHF can be cured in most cases.

 

The CHF symptoms are as follows:

 

 Swelling in the feet / ankles

 

 Loss of appetite

 

 Feeling tired with minimal exertion

 

 Difficulty breathing while lying down

 

 Short and rapid breathing

 

 Fast heart beat

 

 Cough

 

 Restlessness

 

 Sudden weight gain

 

 Swelling or pain in abdomen

 

 Frequent urination at night

 

 

 

Consult a doctor if the elderly suffers from any of the above problems. Your indifference may worsen the condition further and the elderly may need to be hospitalized with serious illness.

 

Medications—follow the prescribed medications. Consult a doctor before stopping any medication.

 

A frequent medical follow-up is necessary to tackle the chronic disability of the CHF. Never cancel appointments and go for regular medical check-ups.

 

If not treated timely, the CHF may be fatal. A proper treatment ensures a longer life for the patient.