Heart failure often seems to strike people out of nowhere. It’s estimated that roughly 920,000 people are living with the condition, although only 580,000 people are diagnosed. Many of these people will only spot the condition after a medical emergency. But in many cases, the disease does show early signs, including sensations in your throat that may be mixed up with “natural ageing” or Covid.
Heart failure is when your heart doesn’t function properly because it is too stiff or weak.
The organ is unable to pump a healthy amount of blood around the body. Blood may end up being stuck in your veins or lungs, known as congestion.
In serious cases, known as acute heart failure, the symptoms of this can strike intensively all of a sudden.
Some of the most notable symptoms of heart failure include coughing and wheezing. These are caused by congestion.
Shortness of breath can occur too. Congestion in the lungs makes it hard for oxygen and carbon dioxide to swap places.
Harvard Medical school explains: “It may also be harder to breathe when lying down because gravity allows fluid from below the lungs to travel up the torso.”
But in many cases, the same symptoms may develop gradually. According to Harvard Medical School, they are also present in “early-onset heart failure”.
This is often known as chronic heart failure and it is often mixed up with other conditions, including respiratory infections like Covid-19.
According to one doctor, due to this mix-up, many people often visit their GP several times before they realise they have heart failure
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“One of the commonest presentations we see in our community heart failure service is the patient with breathlessness who has been seen in primary care with what appears to be a respiratory infection,” Doctor Jim Moore told the British Heart Foundation.
“They might have antibiotics and see their GP a few times – only then does it become apparent to the GP that it could be heart failure.”
Harvard Medical School explained how heart failure can also become mixed up with ageing.
The institution writes on its website: “While some degree of vitality loss can be attributed to natural ageing, fatigue and breathlessness may also signal that your heart is not functioning as well as it should.
Other symptoms of heart failure
In heart failure, blood is unable to move up your body from your legs and feet due to the lack of power in your heart.
Fluids can start to gather in these areas. Many people with heart failure experience fluid collection, known as edema, in their tummy, ankles, and legs.
Often this can show up as “rapid weight gain”, explains Harvard.
The shortness of breath may also make people find it hard to do their daily activities due to tiredness.
The earlier you can treat heart failure the better. If you show sudden signs of the condition, you should call 999 as this is a medical emergency.
But even if symptoms have only developed gradually, it’s important to seek medical help as soon as possible.
According to the BHF, early intervention can help to reduce the risk of long-term complications including kidney failure and anaemia.
Source: Daily Express
