How is Heart Failure Treated
- Heart failure can be treated with medications and surgery.
- Bypass surgery is the most commonly recommended surgery for heart failure.
- In the most severe cases, heart transplant may be recommended.
- Heart failure does not have a treatment that ensures its complete recovery.
Heart failure is when the heart fails to provide enough or the sufficient amount of pump action that is required to maintain the flow of blood throughout the body.
Treating heart failure today puts a person at the crust of technological advancements and scientific discoveries. Some of the treatment options available include medications as well as lifestyle changes accompanied by meticulous monitoring. If the condition progresses, the treatment centre will offer advanced treatment options like surgery.
Drugs for treating Heart Failure
One of the most important things that a person can do to treat heart failure is closely and carefully managing the condition. If you know what your medications are and how they work, you can take over significant part of the treatment by yourself. Some common types of drugs that are used to treat heart failure include the following:
• Beta-blockers
• Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors
• Digoxin
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers
• Diuretics
• Calcium channel blockers
• Potassium or magnesium
• Blood vessel dilators
• Heart pump medication
• Aldactone inhibitors
Surgery
When the medications don’t work, doctors advise the patient to go through a surgical procedure that promises to fix any deformities, stop any further damage to the heart and improve the overall functioning of the heart. Some of the surgeries that are recommended include the following:
Left ventricular assist device: this device plays an important role in helping the heart pump blood in the body.
Bypass surgery: this is a most commonly heard of term among elders because it is one of the most common surgeries undertaken to fix heart failure. The surgery routes the blood around the blocked artery.
Heart transplant: this type of surgery is the last prospect when all the therapies have failed to derive a response.
Infarct exclusion surgery: during a heart attack in the left ventricle, a scar forms. This scarred area is thin and can easily bulge out with each heart beat. The heart surgeon then removes the dead part of the heart’s tissue.
Heart failure is a type of medical problem that does not easily show up through symptoms. Therefore, it is important to keep a careful watch of the general health and take precautions against it.
Read more articles on Heart Failure Treatment.
Source: Onlymyhealth editorial team Dec 08, 2013
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