If your doctor talks to you about heart failure, you may feel very frightened. Although heart failure is a serious disease, it does not mean that your heart is going to stop working or that you are going to die. There are excellent treatments available to help people with heart failure and to effectively extend their lives. It is especially important to take care of yourself and do everything you can to stay healthy. What is heart failure? Heart failure means that the heart is not supplying blood to the body properly, usually due to other health conditions that cause damage to the heart. If you have a heart condition, a heart attack can damage your heart, which can lead to heart failure. There are several types of heart failure, and the type depends on the area of the heart that is damaged. What are the symptoms? 1. One of the main symptoms of heart failure is that it makes you feel short of breath and out of breath. It is normal for us to be out of breath after exercise, but once you have heart failure, even doing everyday things can make you feel out of breath. You will feel more breathless especially when lying down, and many heart failure patients have a hard time sleeping late at night; 2. Heart failure can also make you feel weak and tired. Your blood gets its energy from the food you take in. You feel tired because your heart cannot supply blood to your muscles, and your muscles naturally do not provide you with the energy you need; 3. Heart failure also causes your body to retain too much water, which can seep into your lungs. You are likely to cough up pink stuff, frothy sputum. This extra water can also make your feet, legs and bare joints swollen or puffy; 4. Heart failure is very similar to the symptoms of some other health problems. That’s why doctors usually don’t easily assert that you have heart failure; you need to be examined carefully in a hospital before you can have it. These symptoms may vary from day to day. If any of the symptoms suddenly get worse, contact your doctor immediately. What treatment is available? If you are unfortunate enough to have heart failure, there are several ways to help treat it. Medications can bring the condition under control, will make you feel better, and effectively extend your life. 1. The most common reason heart failure patients unfortunately die from the disease is that they stop taking their medications without permission or do not take them correctly. Even if you don’t like taking these drugs, don’t stop taking them without your doctor’s consent; 2. A healthy diet and exercise are also very beneficial for heart failure patients; 3. Common medications for heart failure: You may need to take several medications at the same time, and your doctor will usually recommend a diuretic, ACE inhibitor or beta-blocker. (1) Diuretics – can help you remove excess water from your body, which is good for helping you slow down breathing difficulties and reduce swelling in your feet and legs. Diuretics can be used alternately with hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, butalbital, sodium diuretic, aminoglutethimide, spironolactone (Antiseptic), etc. Pay attention to toxic reactions and side effects (such as hyponatremia, hypochlorhydria, hypokalemia, etc.) when using them. There have not been a lot of research studies on diuretics, this is because doctors can generally get an accurate picture of how long they work; (2) Vasodilators – probably the second medication your doctor recommends for you, these pills help expand your blood vessels and help relieve pressure on your heart. Many studies have shown that vasodilators can keep you out of the hospital, help you relieve breathing problems, extend your life, and prevent chest pain (angina) or heart attacks. Common vasodilators are isosorbide nitrate (cardiac pain relief), nitroglycerin and hydrazidiazine (hydrazinebendazole). The dose your doctor tells you to take will be small at first and may increase after a few weeks. Vasodilators have some side effects, and about 1/3 of people will have a dry cough after taking them. If this happens, talk to your doctor promptly, and he or she may give you another medication. Vasodilators may also make you feel dizzy, especially if you are taking high doses of diuretics. But heart failure itself makes people feel dizzy, so it can sometimes be hard to tell if it’s caused by a medication. If you take a beta-blocker before a vasodilator and diuretic, it will add more benefit. You will be less likely to go to the hospital and live longer more effectively. (3) Beta-blockers work by slowing the heart rate, so it does not require as much oxygen as possible. Commonly used beta-blockers are bisoprolol, carvedilol, and metoprolol. beta-blockers also have side effects, but they are usually mild, and some people may feel dizzy or find their hands and feet are cold. If you have asthma, you should generally not take beta-blockers. 4. Other medical treatments: Surgery can also be used to treat heart failure. If you have blocked or damaged blood vessels in your heart, surgery can help repair these vessels. If your heart is not beating normally, or if different parts of your heart are not working in harmony, a temporary artificial pacemaker may be necessary at this time.