The heart is a muscle that pumps oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body. When you have heart failure, the heart is not able to pump as well as it should. Blood and fluid may back up into the lungs, and some parts of the body don’t get enough oxygen-rich blood to work normally. These problems lead to the symptoms you feel.
With heart failure, not enough oxygen-rich blood leaves the heart with each beat. There are 2 types of heart failure. Both affect how well the left ventricles can pump blood. You may have one or both types.
When you have heart failure, you need to pay close attention to your body and how you feel, every single day. That way, if a problem occurs, you can get help before it becomes too severe. You'll need to watch for changes in your symptoms. As long as symptoms stay about the same from one day to the next, your heart failure is stable. But if symptoms start to get worse, it's time to take action.
Signs and symptoms of worsening heart failure include:
When the heart doesn't pump enough blood, body chemicals (hormones) are sent to increase the amount of work the heart does. Some hormones make the heart grow larger. Others tell the heart to pump faster. As a result, the heart may pump more blood at first, but it can't keep up with the ongoing demands. So, the heart muscle becomes even more weak. Over time, even less blood is pumped through the heart. This leads to problems throughout the body as organs start to feel the effects of a long-term lack of oxygen. If not treated, over time this can cause problems with your lungs, liver, and kidneys. Long-term (chronic) leg swelling (edema) can also cause skin changes and breakdown. A weak heart itself can eventually cause a severe decline in health and possible death if left untreated.
Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is a measurement of how well your heart pumps blood. It measures how much blood in the heart's ventricle is pumped out (ejected) with each heartbeat. This is measured to help diagnose heart failure. A healthy heart pumps at least half of the blood from the ventricles with each beat. This means a normal ejection fraction is around 50% to 70%. There are four groupings of HF measured through LVEF.
Your healthcare provider will calculate ejection fraction from an echocardiogram or other tests. Your healthcare provider can talk with you about treatment options and how to improve your EF.
Date: ______________________
Ejection fraction: _____________
Test used: __________________
Many things in your daily life impact your health. This can include transportation, money problems, housing, access to food, and child care. If you can’t get to medical appointments, you may not receive the care you need. When money is tight, it may be difficult to pay for medicines. And living far from a grocery store can make it hard to buy healthy food.
If you have concerns in any of these or other areas, talk with your healthcare team. They may know of local resources to assist you. Or they may have a staff person who can help.