Congestive heart failure

A community portal about Congestive heart failure with blogs, videos, and photos. According to Wikipedia.org: Congestive heart failure, also called congestive cardiac failure or just heart failure, is a condition that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the heart to fill with or pump a sufficient amount of blood throughout the body. It is not to be confused with " cessation of heartbeat ", which is known as asystole, or with cardiac arrest, which is the cessation of normal cardiac function with subsequent hemodynamic collapse leading to death. Because not all patients have volume overload at the time of initial or subsequent evaluation, the term "heart failure" is preferred over the older term "congestive heart failure". Congestive heart failure is often undiagnosed due to a lack of a universally agreed definition and difficulties in diagnosis, particularly when the condition is considered "mild".

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Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)

Written by richd on

From: activerain.com

As with many things in our lives, some things we control, some we don't! As we go through our daily lives, it is important to take time to for ourselves. I know, there are always demands on our time and attention. I think what has helped me to reduce the stress in my live is to be able to prioritize. It isn't always easy to do but it has allowed me to not only reduce my stress but become more productive. The realization that sudden cardiac arrest can strike nearly anyone has spurred on the desire to reduce my risks that I can control so that I can have a better chance of being around for a long time! Some risk factors that I can control include:

Stress
High Blood Pressure
High Cholesterol
Smoking
Weight
High Fat Diet
Exercise
Drug and/or Alcohol Abuse

There are of course those risk factors that are beyond our control and they include:

Diabetes
Aging
Congenital Heart Disorders
High Cholesterol
High Blood Pressure
Previous Heart Attack
Coronary Artery Disease
Heart Disease
Congestive Heart Failure
Family History

The American Red Cross has developed a Cardiac Chain of Survival which consists of a sequence of steps that are activated in response to an emergency. They include early recognition of the situation, early CPR, early defibrillation, and early advanced life support by trained medical professionals. Similar in action to the traditional Automated External Defibrillator is the Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD). The implantation of the ICD is often prescribed for patients who have experienced at least one cardiac episode that is not effectively controlled. The ICD delivers electrical therapy to restore normal rate and rhythm to the heart.

While we can't do everything, do what you can to help reduce your risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

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