Heart failure sounds dramatic – but you can go on to live a normal life

I’VE spoken before about our aging population and how that means we’ll be seeing a lot more of certain health problems.

Unfortunately, things tend to start going wrong as we get older.

For example, one in seven of those aged over 85 experience some degree of heart failure.

For a condition with such a dramatic title it’s actually something many people can go on to live a relatively normal life with.

When working properly your heart fills with blood and then blood is pushed out with each beat.

But, put simply, heart failure is when the heart isn’t pumping as well as it used to. There are many different causes. The most common is coronary heart disease – narrowing of the blood vessels which supply the heart muscle with blood and oxygen, usually caused by fatty lumps in the arteries.

Heart failure may also be caused by high blood pressure. Problems with valves in the heart can do it, too, as can damage to the heart muscle – from alcohol and other drugs.

In terms of symptoms, heart failure is split into two groups – depending on which side of the heart is affected.

Left failure makes you breathless after exercise or when lying down, and can cause a troublesome cough.

Right heart failure generally leaves you with swollen legs and ankles.

Both types can leave you feeling tired, dizzy, nauseated and constipated.

Treatment is usually with drugs to control symptoms and help the heart’s pumping action.

This should be combined with lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, avoiding excess salt and exercising regularly.

And, of course, giving up smoking.