stLouISTUnderstanding Heart Failure: What Patients Need to Know
If you see your cardiologist and they throw out the term “heart failure,” your heart might figuratively skip a beat. The heart is a vital organ, and if it’s failing, should I be counting my days? While advanced heart failure will mean big life changes, Margy Goetten , APRN, a cardiology provider at OSF HealthCare, wants you to know that you can live with heart failure. What to know about heart failure Goetten says heart failure occurs when the organ can’t pump blood or relax like normal. “New heart failure patients may experience shortness of breath. They might have difficulty when laying down. They can’t breathe. Leg swelling and fatigue are also common,” Goetten explains. “But if heart failure is well controlled, a lot of people don’t have symptoms.” Milder cases of heart failure can be controlled by taking multiple medications – a cocktail of sorts that research has shown to help. Titrate medication, for
