Signs and Symptoms

If you or a loved one has heart disease, your heart isn’t functioning as well as it should, either because it isn’t getting an adequate blood supply or it isn’t able to pump enough blood through the body. These types of heart malfunctions or heart failure can lead to chest pain (also called angina), heart palpitations or irregular heartbeats, increased sweating, shortness of breath, weakness or dizziness. Or they can trigger a heart attack with symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, lightheadedness, or pain that radiates to the back, jaw or arm; such symptoms should never be ignored, especially if you or a loved one has had a heart attack already. Other symptoms, such as sudden weight gain, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, swelling in legs or abdomen, trouble sleeping, dry cough or wheezing should also be monitored, as these may indicate a worsening heart condition.

Treatment

The way in which heart disease is treated depends largely on its severity and symptoms. Heart disease can’t be cured, but it can be managed. Generally, a combination of approaches is called for, including:

• Taking medications to treat high blood pressure, cholesterol, and angina, if necessary
• Following a heart-healthy diet (which includes decreasing your sodium and fat intake), avoiding or limiting alcohol, and managing your weight
• Adjusting your lifestyle to get more rest, quit smoking, and exercise as recommended by your doctor.

Sometimes surgery is needed to repair a damaged heart, or bypass a blocked artery to increase blood flow to the heart. Recovery after heart surgery requires medical supervision in order to prevent complications and help you get back to the business of leading an active life.

Staying Well

By following your primary care provider’s treatment regimen, you may be able to halt the progression of heart disease and enhance the quality of your life. Once your treatment is launched, your primary care provider will want to see you regularly to find out how well you’re sticking with the recommended lifestyle changes and to monitor how well these changes and the medications you’re taking are controlling your heart disease risk factors. If you’ve had a heart attack, your doctor may recommend that you participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program, in which a variety of health professionals can help you with aerobic and resistance-training exercises, stress management, nutritional counseling, and other ways of reducing your risk of future heart problems.

To learn more about how the Visiting Nurse Service of New York can help you manage heart disease, click here.