Elder Care Greenville, SC: Understanding Congestive Heart Failure

By Bruce Meyer
With Elder Care in Greenville, SC we come across symptoms of congestive heart failure on occasion. This develops when the heart is not strong enough to pump blood through the entire body.[1] A chronic condition, heart failure also has the ability of quickly developing and may, in certain cases, impact only one side of the heart at a time. The senior care professionals at Always Best Care of Greenville, serving Greenville, Greer, Simpsonville, Taylors, Fountain Inn, and Mauldin, know that facing congestive heart failure with your elderly loved one can be scary. But, by understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatment options associated with this condition, you can better provide senior care as they battle this disease.

Causes of Congestive Heart Failure
Coronary artery disease is the most common catalyst of congestive heart failure. This disease takes root when the blood vessels that carry blood—and oxygen—to the heart are too narrow to provide the amount of blood needed. Additionally, high blood pressure caused by this and other conditions can lead to the failure of the heart.

Additional causes of congestive heart failure include:

• Congenital heart disease
• Arrhythmias
• Heart attack
• Diseases of the heart valves (causing them to leak or become too narrow)
• Infection of the heart muscle

Congestive heart failure is a disease that can actually be prompted by other health conditions. Some of these include: amyloidosis, underactive and overactive thyroid, emphysema, a surplus of iron, sarcoidosis, and extreme anemia.

Symptoms Associated with Congestive Heart Failure
The signs of heart failure develop gradually. As such, it is important for you to understand what to look for when providing home care to your elderly loved one. Here are some of the most common symptoms of this particular condition:

• Cough
• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Weakness
• Swollen feet, ankles, liver, or abdomen
• Loss of appetite
• Irregular Pulse
• Urge to urinate at night
• Heart palpitations

These symptoms, although they normally emerge at a slow rate, may begin suddenly. As such, it is important to pay attention to the overall health of your loved one when providing home care.

Treatment Options
Medications are the first line of defense against congestive heart failure. These medicines are targeted at alleviating the symptoms of the disease and preventing it from becoming more severe. Coronary bypass surgery, heart valve surgery, the implantation of a pacemaker, or the use of a defibrillator may also be used.

Bruce Meyer and the home care professionals at Always Best Care of Greenville hope that this information can assist you in better caring for your loved one and, if necessary, helping them seek immediate medical attention should they develop the symptoms of heart failure.

Always Best Care combines national strength and standards with local accessibility and personal service. The owner of Always Best Care of Greenville is Bruce Meyer. Bruce and his team assist seniors and their families in South Carolina by providing non-medical in-home care and FREE assisted living placement services. We have strong relationships with area hospitals, social workers, senior communities and senior resources throughout the area.  We have your loved ones’ best interests at heart, and will ensure that exceptional service and care is provided to all family members. Check out our website: http://www.alwaysbestcare.com/us/sc/greenville-county/greenville.aspx

Call us today at 864-527-0464 or visit online at for a free e-booklet on senior care!

---

[1] All information from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001211/