Sometimes the heart fails to work as well as expected. It might either obstruct the inflow of blood, have trouble pumping out blood, or both, causing heart failure. Its symptoms and effects on the body prevent individuals from living their lives to the fullest and can also be fatal.
Heart failure is a chronic condition with no known cure that requires special care and treatment throughout life. Fortunately, there are multiple therapies and treatments for CAD heart disease are available to help you have an active and healthy life, even if you struggle with a severe heart condition.
Top Best Heart Failure Treatment Options In 2021
HF treatment may involve medication, surgeries, or therapies depending on the underlying cause of the condition.
Medications
An individual might need to take several medications from the following based on his symptoms:
- Beta-blockers: these are effective in reducing blood pressure by relaxing the heart rate. This diminishes the symptoms of heart failure.
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors: ACE inhibitors also lower blood pressure and help lower strain in the heart.
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers: these drugs provide the same benefits as ACE inhibitors. They are recommended for people who are intolerant to ACE inhibitors.
- Inotropes: these drugs are administered to the patient with severe heart failure through IV therapy. This enhances the functioning of the heart and helps sustain the required blood pressure.
- Diuretics: diuretics are given to prevent the fluids from accumulating in the body, such as in the lungs, by making urination more frequent. However, these drugs also reduce potassium and magnesium in the body and require you to take supplements.
- Aldosterone antagonists: these drugs are a type of diuretics that do not result in potassium loss. On the contrary, it might increase the potassium level to a concerning level. In this case, you need to take a low-potassium diet.
- Digoxin: this can help in increasing the strength of muscle contractions in the heart and heartbeat. The chances of it being prescribed to someone with heart rhythm issues are more.
- More medicines: an individual might need to take other drugs to manage particular symptoms. Such as nitrates to reduce chest pains, BiDil to relax blood vessels, blood-thinning medicines, and more.
Surgery or therapy
Sometimes surgery is required to treat the leading cause of heart failure properly. These include:
- Heart valve repair or replacement: if a defective valve is the underlying issue of heart failure, the heart may need a valve replacement or repair. The surgery may involve reconnecting valve flaps, eliminating extra valve tissue, or tightening/replacing the valve ring.
- Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs): An ICD is a device that works like a pacemaker but offers more features. It is implanted in the chest with its wires going through the veins into the heart. It can slow your heart down, increase the heart rate or shock it in case the heart stops.
- Ventricular assist devices: CRT is a device that is used when the lower chambers of the great aren’t working in coordination. This makes the pumping more synced and can be used with ICD.
- Coronary bypass surgery: when blocked arteries begin to affect the heart’s working, bypass surgery is done where a vessel from the leg, chest, or arm is taken and connected to the two ends of the blocked artery to restore normal blood flow.
- Heart transplant: when the severity of heart failure is increased to a point where medications or other types of surgeries might prove ineffective, a heart transplant may be needed.
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Conclusion
Heart failure is an incurable condition that requires special attention. There are plenty of medicines, therapies, and surgeries that can be highly beneficial. However, the individual also has to make specific lifestyle changes to get the best results. With needed effort, any person with a heart condition can live a long and sound life.
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