Three major indicators of heart failure

For patients with heart failure, timely treatment is necessary. It can be treated with diuretics, ACE inhibitors, etc. Combined drug treatment can be used according to the condition, and the drugs can be adjusted in time. In addition, the primary disease must be controlled, the cause of the disease must be understood, and some inducing factors must be avoided during the treatment process. Infection must be prevented, strenuous exercise must be avoided, etc.

Specific measures include the following aspects:

1. Prevent respiratory tract infections

If a person with stable heart failure develops a respiratory infection, their condition can easily deteriorate rapidly. Therefore, during the cold season or when the climate changes suddenly, patients should reduce going out, wear masks and add appropriate clothes when going out, and should also avoid crowded places.

2. Master the amount of activity

Do some physical activities within your ability, but avoid excessive or intense activities, and do not participate in strenuous activities to prevent sudden worsening of heart failure.

3. Choose a light and low-salt diet

The diet should be less oily (oily foods) and more vegetables (vegetable foods) and fruits (fruit foods). For patients who already have heart failure, salt intake must be controlled. Excessive salt intake will aggravate fluid retention and increase edema, but it is not necessary to completely avoid salt.

4. Maintain a healthy (healthy food) lifestyle

You must quit smoking and drinking, maintain a balanced mentality, and avoid excessive emotional fluctuations. At the same time, you must ensure adequate sleep (sleep foods).

5. Rational use of drugs

Some drugs can quickly relieve symptoms, while others need to be taken for a long time to improve heart function and prolong life. Diuretics are the only drugs that can control fluid retention, but they cannot be used alone to control heart failure and stabilize the condition. Digitalis preparations (digoxin) relieve patients' symptoms by increasing myocardial contractility and other effects. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (such as Captopril, Monroe, etc.) should be used by all patients with heart failure and decreased left ventricular systolic function, unless the patients have contraindications to or cannot tolerate such drugs. However, the use of such drugs should be started early and used for a long time to reduce mortality and prolong life. β-blockers can be used by all heart failure patients with poor left ventricular systolic function under stable conditions. However, the more drugs are used, the better. Instead, they should be used less and more carefully, and rationally under the guidance of a doctor.