How can heart failure be treated

For example, people with heart failure will see an improvement if they: Modify daily activities and get enough rest to avoid stressing the heart Eat a heart-healthy diet that is low in sodium and fat Don't smoke and avoid exposure to second-hand smoke Don't drink alcohol or limit intake to no more than one drink two or three times a week Lose weight Avoid or limit caffeine intake Get regular exercise, which may include a physical rehabilitation program, once symptoms are stable Reduce stress Weigh yourself daily, for a sudden increase may signal fluid build-up Keep track of symptoms and report any changes Have regular checkups to monitor the condition.

Medications A number of medications are prescribed for heart failure, and most patients will take more than one drug. Medications may be prescribed to: Dilate blood vessels Strengthen the heart's pumping action Reduce water and sodium in the body to lessen the heart's workload Types of medication include: Angiotensive converting enzyme ACE inhibitors, which dilate, or widen, the arteries, improving blood flow and making it so that the heart doesn't have to pump as hard.

ACE-Inhibitors counteract the action of certain compounds formed by the body to regulate heart failure but which can contribute to disease progression. Beta-blockers lower blood pressure and decrease and block the effect of harmful hormones that can cause disease progression. Diuretics or water pills help the kidneys produce more urine and rid the body of excess fluid, which can stress the heart. Spironolactone is a diuretic that preserves potassium and has been shown to reduce hospitalization and prolong life when used to treat advanced heart failure.

Potassium and magnesium supplements are often prescribed with diuretics to replace these minerals, which are excreted in urine. Digoxin makes the heart beat stronger and slower, and regulates the rhythm of its contractions.

Anti-arrhythmic drugs treat abnormal heart rhythms. Surgery Surgical options to treat underlying causes of heart failure Coronary artery bypass graft CABG or "cabbage" or angioplasty to prevent and treat heart failure caused by blocked arteries. During bypass surgery, blood vessels taken from another part of the body — usually the leg — are used to link the open parts of a blocked artery around the blockage.

In angioplasty, a thin flexible tube called a catheter is inserted through a small incision in the groin or neck into a blood vessel. In one procedure, a balloon is introduced through the catheter into the center of a blocked blood vessel.

When the balloon is inflated, the blockage material is compressed back against the walls of the artery. A small metal device, called a stent, may be inserted through the catheter to serve as a permanent barrier to keep the plaque compressed. In another type of procedure, instruments are introduced through the catheter to remove the plaque. Implantation of pacemakers and other devices such as artificial heart valves Repairing congenital heart defects Surgical treatments for heart failure itself include: Heart Transplantation Although a heart transplant may be the best option for patients with the most severe types of heart failure, this treatment is available to only a small number of people due to a shortage of donor hearts.

Heart Reconstruction The electrical signals that cause the heart to contract move in a spiral pattern. These heart reconstruction procedures include: Valve repair and revascularization, which may reduce heart size and improve cardiac function.

Dynamic cardiomyoplasty, in which one end of a muscle from the patient's back is detached and wrapped around the ventricles of the heart. After a few weeks, the relocated muscles are conditioned with electrical stimulation to behave and beat as if they were heart muscles. The procedure may improve pumping ability, thereby limiting heart enlargement and reducing stress.

The Batista procedure, also called "partial left ventriculectomy," removes a section of the wall of the left ventricle.

This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Heart failure — sometimes known as congestive heart failure — occurs when the heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should.

Heart failure Open pop-up dialog box Close. Heart failure Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Chambers and valves of the heart Open pop-up dialog box Close. Chambers and valves of the heart A typical heart has two upper and two lower chambers.

Enlarged heart, in heart failure Open pop-up dialog box Close. Enlarged heart, in heart failure As the heart weakens, as it can with heart failure, it begins to enlarge, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood on to the rest of the body.

Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Heart failure. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Accessed Oct. Ferri FF. Heart failure. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Elsevier; Colucci WS. Determining the etiology and severity of heart failure or cardiomyopathy.

Evaluation of the patient with suspected heart failure. Heart failure HF. Merck Manual Professional Version. Vasan RS, et al. Epidemiology and causes of heart failure. Goldman L, et al. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Warning signs of heart failure. Our caring team of Mayo Clinic experts can help you with your heart failure-related health concerns Start Here. Heart failure is a chronic disease needing lifelong management. However, with treatment, signs and symptoms of heart failure can improve, and the heart sometimes becomes stronger.

Doctors sometimes can correct heart failure by treating the underlying cause. For example, repairing a heart valve or controlling a fast heart rhythm may reverse heart failure.

But for most people, treatment of heart failure involves a balance of the right medications and, sometimes, use of devices that help the heart beat and contract properly. Doctors usually treat heart failure with a combination of medications. Depending on your symptoms, you might take one or more medications, including:.

Often called water pills, diuretics make you urinate more frequently and keep fluid from collecting in your body. Diuretics, such as furosemide Lasix , also decrease fluid in your lungs so you can breathe more easily. Because diuretics make your body lose potassium and magnesium, your doctor may also prescribe supplements of these minerals. If you're taking a diuretic, your doctor will likely monitor levels of potassium and magnesium in your blood through regular blood tests.

Aldosterone antagonists. These drugs include spironolactone Aldactone, Carospir and eplerenone Inspra. These are potassium-sparing diuretics that have additional properties that may help people with severe systolic heart failure live longer. Unlike some other diuretics, spironolactone and eplerenone can raise the level of potassium in your blood to dangerous levels, so talk to your doctor if increased potassium is a concern, and learn if you need to modify your intake of food that's high in potassium.

Your doctor may need to adjust your doses frequently, especially when you've just started a new medication or when your condition is worsening. You may be admitted to the hospital if you have a flare-up of heart failure symptoms. While in the hospital, you may receive additional medications to help your heart pump better and relieve your symptoms.

You may also receive supplemental oxygen through a mask or small tubes placed in your nose. If you have severe heart failure, you may need to use supplemental oxygen for a long time. Surgery or other procedures to implant cardiac devices may be recommended to treat the underlying problem that led to heart failure. Surgery or other procedures for heart failure may include:. Heart valve repair or replacement. If a faulty heart valve causes your heart failure, your doctor may recommend repairing or replacing the valve.

Surgeons can repair the valve by reconnecting valve flaps or by removing excess valve tissue so that the leaflets can close tightly. Sometimes repairing the valve includes tightening or replacing the ring around the valve. Heart valve repair or replacement may be done as open-heart surgery, a minimally invasive surgery or a heart procedure using flexible tubes called catheters cardiac catheterization. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators ICDs.

An ICD is used to prevent complications of heart failure. It isn't a treatment for heart failure itself. An ICD is a device similar to a pacemaker. It's implanted under the skin in your chest with wires leading through your veins and into your heart. The ICD monitors the heart rhythm. If the heart starts beating at a dangerous rhythm, or if your heart stops, the ICD tries to pace your heart or shock it back into normal rhythm.

An ICD can also work as a pacemaker and speed your heart up if it is going too slow. Ventricular assist devices VADs. A VAD — also known as a mechanical circulatory support device — is a device that helps pump blood from the lower chambers of your heart ventricles to the rest of your body.

Although a VAD can be placed in one or both ventricles of your heart, it is most frequently implanted in the left ventricle. Your doctor may recommend a VAD if you're waiting for a heart transplant. Sometimes, a VAD is used as a permanent treatment for people who have heart failure but who aren't good candidates for a heart transplant. Heart transplant. Some people have such severe heart failure that surgery or medications don't help. BNP blood test: B-type natriuretic peptide BNP is a hormone that is a marker of severity and prognosis of heart failure.

Echocardiogram : An ultrasound image of the heart. Exercise stress test : You walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bicycle to see how your heart performs when it has to work hard. Treatment aims to relieve symptoms and slow further damage.

TheI exact plan depends on the stage and type of heart failure, underlying conditions and the individual patient. Among the components of a treatment plan:. Lifestyle changes. These are the same changes as those for preventing heart failure. In addition, you may be advised to avoid salt because of fluid retention and caffeine because of heartbeat irregularities. Your doctor will advise how much fluid and what kinds to drink, as sometimes fluid intake should be limited.

According to Jones, the types of medications typically prescribed include these:. Surgical procedures. In more severe cases, surgery is required to open or bypass blocked arteries, or to replace heart valves. Some congestive heart failure patients are candidates for a type of pacemaker called biventricular pacing therapy, which helps both sides of the heart work in concert, or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, which shocks the heart into converting a potentially fatal fast rhythm to a normal one.

Ventricular assist devices VAD therapy may be used as a bridge to heart transplantation or as a treatment in lieu of transplant, says Jones. A heart transplant is considered the last resort, with success rates of about 88 percent after one year and 75 percent after five years.

Other treatments. Because sleep apnea—a condition in which the muscles that allow air into the lungs briefly collapse—is linked to heart failure, you may be evaluated and treated for it.