Health care

Heart failure (heart failure for short) is a group of clinical syndromes caused by various heart diseases, which can not meet the metabolic needs of the body. The clinical manifestations are insufficient blood perfusion in organs and tissues, and blood stasis in systemic circulation and/or pulmonary circulation. Heart failure is a progressive disease, which is often the terminal stage of various heart diseases, the final destination of most cardiovascular diseases and the main cause of death. The main clinical manifestations are dyspnea, fatigue, decreased exercise tolerance and fluid retention.

Causes of chronic heart failure

The basic cause of chronic heart failure: 1. Primary myocardial injury; 2. The heart is overloaded.

The causes of chronic heart failure are as follows:

1. Infection: Respiratory infection is the most common and important inducement.

2. Arrhythmia: It can induce various arrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation.

3. Excessive physical or psychological stress: overwork, emotional and nervous.

4. Pregnancy and delivery: the heart load is aggravated and the myocardial oxygen consumption is increased.

5. Increased blood volume: too much sodium intake, too much blood transfusion or too fast blood transfusion.

6. Others: improper treatment (such as improper withdrawal of digitalis), rheumatic valvular heart disease with rheumatic activity, hyperthyroidism or anemia, etc.

Classification of cardiac function in patients with heart failure

In patients with chronic heart failure, the main manifestations of left heart failure are pulmonary congestion and decreased cardiac output, and dyspnea is the main symptom of left heart failure. Other symptoms include cough, expectoration and hemoptysis, fatigue, fatigue, dizziness, palpitation, oliguria and kidney damage.

The main manifestations of right heart failure are systemic venous congestion, mainly digestive tract symptoms and fatigue dyspnea.

Cardiac function can be divided into the following four levels:

Grade ⅰ. The patient suffers from heart disease, but the usual activities do not cause fatigue, palpitation, dyspnea, angina pectoris and other symptoms.

The second category. Physical activity is slightly limited. There are no conscious symptoms during rest, but the above symptoms can appear in general activities at ordinary times and will be relieved soon after rest.

Third grade. Physical activity is obviously limited. There are no symptoms during rest, and the above symptoms can appear when the activity is lower than usual, and will be relieved after a long rest.

Level 4. Can't engage in any physical activity. There are also symptoms of heart failure at rest, which are aggravated after physical activity.

What problems should patients with chronic heart failure pay attention to?

Patients with chronic heart failure should pay attention to the following aspects in their daily life:

First, prevent the disease from getting worse. Actively treat the primary disease; Avoid all kinds of incentives; Women of childbearing age control pregnancy and childbirth under the guidance of doctors.

Second, prevent infection. 1. Pay attention to prevent colds and catch cold, change clothes at any time according to temperature changes, and keep warm after sweating; 2. Participate in physical exercise according to heart function. Exercise training can improve the clinical symptoms of patients with chronic heart failure, reduce the activity of neurohumors, slow down ventricular remodeling and slow down the process of heart failure; It is best to wear a mask when going out in winter and spring, and try not to go to crowded places.

Third, rest. Rest is an important way to reduce the heart load, including physical rest and mental relaxation. The rest mode and time depend on the patient's heart function.

Fourth, diet. The principle of diet is low sodium, low calorie, light, easy to digest, foods with sufficient vitamins, inorganic salts, moderate fat and less gas production, do not drink alcohol and eat less meals to prevent heart failure from being induced or aggravated by full meals, and pay special attention to controlling sodium.

What should patients with chronic heart failure pay attention to?

Chronic heart failure needs long-term drug control. Taking medicine for a long time according to the doctor's advice can effectively relieve palpitation, chest tightness, dyspnea, fatigue, fatigue and other symptoms, eliminate edema, and thus improve heart function. With the improvement of heart function, the quality of life will also improve.

Patients with chronic heart failure should be familiar with the name, dosage, possible adverse reactions and prevention methods of drugs used.

1. When taking vasodilators, it should be noted that blood pressure should be measured regularly during the medication and recorded. Move slowly when changing positions to avoid dizziness or even fainting.

2. When taking diuretics, it is often necessary to use them intermittently and adjust the dosage according to the condition. Patients should observe whether there are symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting in recent days, and eat more foods rich in potassium every day, such as fresh orange juice, tomato juice, bananas, dates, apricots, figs, raisins, prunes, potatoes, spinach and cauliflower. The time to take diuretics should be in the morning or during the day.

3. When taking digitalis preparation, you must take it according to the doctor's advice on time and quantity, remember not to make up if you miss it, and learn to take your own pulse. When the pulse is below 60 beats per minute, stop taking medicine and follow up regularly. If there are adverse reactions such as nausea, vomiting, palpitation and chest tightness, you must stop taking the medicine and seek medical treatment.

What are the characteristics of TCM treatment methods?

According to the characteristics of patients with heart failure, the Department of Cardiology of Shijiazhuang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine has formulated a variety of TCM treatment and maintenance methods.

First of all, in drug treatment, according to the different stages of heart failure patients, the method of syndrome differentiation by stages is used to treat heart failure, that is, the "three-stage therapy" of heart failure.

According to the specific situation of patients with heart failure, a series of therapeutic prescriptions have been formulated: tinglishengmai Wuling powder is used to treat heart failure, which belongs to the type of deficiency of both qi and yin, blood stasis and water stagnation; The treatment of heart failure with Yiqi Jiang Sheng decoction belongs to the type of heart and lung qi deficiency and zong qi deficiency; Shenqi Qiangxin Capsule belongs to the type of qi deficiency and blood stasis in treating heart failure.

Secondly, in view of heart failure, a special Chinese medicine tea substitute and cream prescription were made. Most patients with recurrent heart failure are often thirsty and like drinking because of long-term illness, deficiency of both qi and yin, weak constitution. A "heart-strengthening tea" was made for this kind of patients, which can replenish qi, strengthen the heart, nourish yin and promote diuresis, and improve symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, edema, dry mouth and drinking. "Qiangxin Yishen ointment", a special ointment for heart failure in this department, has the functions of strengthening heart and tonifying kidney, promoting blood circulation and promoting diuresis. It is a preparation for treating chronic cardiac insufficiency and improving cardiac function, and can prevent the recurrence of heart failure.

In addition, according to different conditions, we choose distinctive external treatment methods of traditional Chinese medicine, such as acupoint application, meridian massage, moxibustion, external application of Sizibao, umbilical therapy and so on. Through a series of treatment programs, the further development of complications such as heart failure can be controlled, the quality of life of patients can be improved, and the number of hospitalizations can be reduced. The combination of traditional Chinese and western medicine has obvious advantages over simple western medicine in treating heart failure.

How to carry out exercise rehabilitation treatment for patients with heart failure

Sports rehabilitation refers to the rehabilitation of the heart through exercise, mainly aerobic exercise, including walking, jogging, pedaling, playing Tai Ji Chuan, sitting in Baduanjin and so on. Baduanjin is a fitness exercise handed down from ancient times. Its movements are gentle and slow, and it requires the harmony and unity of movement, breathing, breathing and thoughts. Patients with chronic heart failure have poor cardiopulmonary function and are not suitable for high-intensity exercise. Therefore, it is more suitable for patients with chronic heart failure to carry out rehabilitation exercise by improving the traditional Baduanjin into a sitting Baduanjin.