Sangao smokes and loves to eat heavy flavors! Can young people also suffer from heart failure? Is "tiredness, breathlessness, and swelling" all at the same time most dangerous?
What causes heart failure? Be alert if “tiredness, asthma and swelling” occur at the same time
The temperature changes greatly in winter, which can easily cause severe contraction of blood vessels and worsen myocardial infarction or heart failure. Heart failure is also known as “heart weakness.” Dr. Cai Shiji, deputy director of the Department of Cardiology at Sun Kong Hospital, said that the heart is the motor that transports blood flow throughout the body. When the heart cannot pump out a sufficient amount of blood, it may cause symptoms of fatigue, breathlessness, and swelling. The elderly may easily mistake it for aging, while younger patients may ignore early warning signs due to their higher tolerance, resulting in delays in seeking medical treatment.
Dr. Cai Shiji said that the main cause of heart failure is chronic cardiovascular obstruction, and the “three highs” such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol are also risk factors. In addition, it is partly related to genes. People with a family history of sudden death from heart disease before the age of 40 should pay special attention. In recent years, Taiwanese people’s eating habits have changed. Office workers consume too much high-fat, high-salty outside food, which also increases the risk of high blood pressure and myocardial infarction and heart failure among young people. Statistics found that people under the age of 55 have a 4% chance of heart disease. exhaustion.
Dr. Hong Huifeng from the Department of Cardiology at Sun Kong Hospital pointed out that the most common symptoms caused by heart failure are “wheezing, swelling and tiredness”, including difficulty breathing, edema of the legs, and easy fatigue and weakness. However, heart failure will cause symptoms of wheezing, and wheezing does not necessarily mean heart failure. Poor lung function, anemia, obesity, and muscle weakness may all cause shortness of breath. The public is reminded that when “breathing” occurs together with “swelling” and “tiredness” at the same time, special attention should be paid to whether it is a warning sign of heart failure.
Grading and diagnosis of heart failure? Young people are more tolerant and prone to delayed treatment
Dr. Cai Shiji pointed out that heart failure can be divided into grades 1-4. Level 1: Symptoms are barely noticeable and physical activity is not restricted. Level 2: Symptoms become more obvious with light activity, but can recover after rest. Level 3: Breathing after even the slightest movement, daily activities are limited but can be recovered after rest. Level 4: Daily activities are severely limited, making you breathless when lying down, and uncomfortable when sitting. When the disease progresses to stages 3 and 4, most patients are seriously unwell and require emergency room treatment or hospitalization.
The early symptoms of heart failure are difficult to distinguish. Diagnostic methods include blood tests, medical history tracking, physical examinations, heart scans, etc. Dr. Cai Shiji pointed out that the most important examination method is cardiac ultrasound, which tests the “systolic fraction” of the patient’s heart. The systolic fraction The lower the score, the poorer the heart function and the higher the mortality rate. Generally, a value above 50 is considered normal, and a value below 40 indicates that the heart function has been damaged.
Dr. Cai Shiji reminded that the symptoms of heart failure in young people are actually the same as those in older people. However, because they have better physical strength, they tend to ignore physical symptoms. Elderly patients are very uncomfortable when their systolic fraction drops to 40-50. Young people have better physical tolerance. , it may worsen until you are 20-30 years old before you have obvious symptoms and seek medical treatment. At this time, heart failure is often quite serious. In addition to risk factors such as high blood pressure and smoking, the proportion of young people with heart failure has increased in recent years.
How is heart failure treated? “Wear a scarf” to keep warm, protect your heart and get vaccinated
Dr. Cai Shiji pointed out that the treatment of heart failure includes drug therapy and non-drug treatment. When drug treatment is insufficient, a cardiac pacemaker device must be inserted. In the past, only two drugs were available for heart failure, but now four drugs have been developed. With the advancement of treatment, patient mortality and hospitalization rates have also dropped significantly. As long as patients make adjustments to their lifestyle and diet, return for regular check-ups and take medication regularly, they can stabilize their condition and return to normal life.
Dr. Cai Shiji reminded that patients with heart failure should exercise appropriately and perform cardiac rehabilitation training. They can walk more, briskly, and ride bicycles. In terms of diet, avoid overeating, pay attention to the daily salt limit of 5 grams, and the drinking water limit of less than 2000 ml. It is especially important to quit smoking and drinking.
Doctors urge patients with cardiovascular disease and high-risk groups to keep warm in winter and wear scarves to protect their necks when the weather is cold. And consult your attending physician to get the COVID-19 vaccine and influenza vaccine to avoid worsening of heart failure.
