Even if you move a little, 'heh heh'... Suspected heart failure, seek medical attention immediately

If you feel short of breath and stuffy in your chest even after moving a little, you should suspect heart failure. The doctor urged him to seek medical attention as soon as possible.

According to Kyung Hee Medical Center on the 20th, heart failure refers to a condition in which the heart’s function is weakened due to a structural or functional abnormality of the heart, which means that it cannot deliver enough blood. In the later stages, the mortality rate is higher than that of cancer.

Professor Hye-moon Jeong of the Cardiovascular Center at Kyunghee University Hospital said, “Simply having shortness of breath does not diagnose heart failure. However, if breathing is difficult while lying down, but it improves when you sit down, or if breathing difficulties occur suddenly at night, it is highly likely that you have difficulty breathing due to heart failure. “he explained.

Heart failure is known to account for 1% of the total population under the age of 60, but its prevalence increases rapidly with age. Representative factors include coronary artery disease, such as angina pectoris or myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, hypertension, diabetes, anemia, and kidney disease.

Treatment for heart failure varies depending on the cause. If there is no structural heart disease that requires surgery or procedure, drug treatment is first performed. Recently, various drugs that improve the survival rate have been continuously developed.

However, if there is no improvement, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), a surgical treatment, may be considered. Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or heart transplantation may be considered in patients with end-stage heart failure who do not respond to drug and surgical treatment.

Professor Hye-moon Jeong said, “Heart failure is not a curable disease, but through steady management, the risk of developing heart failure symptoms can be lowered, thereby improving the quality of life and prolonging lifespan. is very important,” he emphasized.

Professor Jeong said, “When you are diagnosed with heart failure, it is good to check the degree of breathlessness, swelling of hands and feet, and weight gain every day. “If the pain persists, you should see a doctor as soon as possible,” he said.