Definition

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart muscle fails to pump blood effectively. Acute heart failure is defined as a sudden, rapid, and potentially fatal decline in cardiac function. When this happens, your heart continues to function but is unable to supply enough oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body.

The heart is an essential organ for the human circulatory system and survival. Anatomically, the heart consists of four chambers. The four heart chambers are the right and left atriums and the right and left ventricles. Each of these heart chambers has its own function in pumping and distributing blood to various organs.

Causes

Acute heart failure occurs due to an underlying medical condition, including:

• Alcohol addiction
• Blood clots in the lungs that cause blockages
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure or hypertension
• Stroke
• Viral infections that affect the heart
• Disorders of the thyroid gland
• Coronary heart disease
• Diseases of the heart valves

These conditions then make your heart work harder and cause several changes to your heart and blood vessels. Some of these changes include heart enlargement, decreased blood flow, narrowing of blood vessels, irregular heartbeat, and heart muscle stiffness.

Risk Factor

Several factors increase a person's risk of developing heart failure. These factors often combine to increase the risk. Some of the risk factors for heart failure include:

1. Coronary Heart Disease

This disease causes blockages in the coronary arteries that blood the heart muscle. This affects the delivery of oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. As a result, heart muscle weakness occurs and can lead to heart failure

2. Heart Attack

A heart attack can also cause damage to the heart muscle so that your heart can no longer pump blood properly

3. High Blood Pressure

Blood vessels have an elastic structure, so if the vessel tissues are always passed through high-pressure blood, it can cause damage to the vessel structure. In the long run, this can affect heart health

4. Congenital Heart Defects

Congenital heart defects are disorders of the formation of the ventricles, atriums, or heart valves in children from the womb. The imperfect structure of the heart parts can affect the heart in carrying out its functions

5. Diabetes

Sugar disease or diabetes can increase your risk of high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. Indirectly, a person's risk factor for heart failure will increase if you have diabetes along with high blood pressure

6. Obesity

People who are obese have a higher risk of developing heart failure

7. Smoking and Drinking Alcohol

Tobacco smoking can increase your risk of developing heart disease and developing heart failure. Excessive alcohol consumption can make the heart muscle weak and thus play a role in increasing the risk of heart failure

Symptoms

Heart failure can be chronic (long-term) or acute (sudden). There are some similarities in the symptoms of chronic heart failure and acute heart failure. The most common symptom of acute heart failure is sudden swelling in the legs and abdomen. This swelling causes rapid weight gain because the body retains fluid. You will also experience nausea and loss of appetite.

In addition to the symptoms above, acute heart failure can be accompanied by other symptoms, such as:

• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Rapid and irregular heartbeat
• Persistent cough that may be accompanied by white or pink sputum
• Shortness of breath that may be accompanied by wheezing sounds 
• Decreased ability to concentrate
• Chest pain when heart failure is caused by a heart attack

If not treated properly, heart failure can progress to a heart attack. A heart attack occurs due to a blockage in the blood vessels. The blockage could be caused by fatty plaque or blood clots. This blockage prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart, causing the heart cells to receive insufficient oxygen.

Furthermore, this causes the death of heart muscle cells, prevents the heart from pumping blood, and causes chest pain, which is a symptom of a heart attack. This condition is potentially fatal and should be treated immediately at the nearest hospital emergency department.

Diagnosis

Medical Interview

The doctor will ask you questions related to your complaint and any risk factors you have for cardiovascular disease. Your doctor may also ask about your history of other diseases and your family history.

Physical Examination

On physical examination, the doctor will listen to your heart and lung sounds using a stethoscope to detect any fluid accumulation in the lungs. Your doctor will also check your neck veins and swelling in your leg area.

Supporting Examination

After performing a physical examination, your doctor will perform a supporting examination. The tests your doctor performs may include:

1. Laboratory examination

Your doctor may check your blood, electrolytes, blood sugar, cholesterol, kidney function, as well as biomarkers of heart disorders. With laboratory tests, your doctor can look for signs of diseases that can affect the heart

2. Chest X-ray examination

This imaging examination is done to determine the condition of your lungs and heart, if there is an enlarged heart or fluid buildup in the heart and lung area

3. ECG (electrocardiogram) examination

During an ECG examination, electrodes will be attached to your chest, and both feet and hands will then be assessed by the doctor. From the ECG, it can be determined if the patient is suffering from coronary heart disease, heart rhythm disturbances, or heart enlargement

4. Angiography

Also known as cardiac catheterization, this examination is done to check the condition of the blood vessels in the heart

Management

Emergency treatment for acute heart failure aims to restore blood flow and oxygen levels. The doctor will classify the patient's heart failure based on the level of activity the patient can perform, whether the patient can perform activities well, or if the heart failure has severely limited the patient's abilities. The treatment depends on the clinical condition and underlying cause. Treatment options include:

• Administration of oxygen using a mask
• Administration of drugs that function to dilate narrowed blood vessels when there is high blood pressure
• Administration of drugs to remove fluid buildup from the body
• In some conditions, cases of acute heart failure may require surgical intervention

Once you are discharged home, your doctor will prescribe a variety of medications to improve your heart health. Your doctor will also advise you to monitor your blood pressure, quit smoking, exercise regularly, and avoid salty foods. Follow your doctor's advice and get regular check-ups.

Complications

Complications vary according to the severity of your acute heart failure and your age. Several complications can occur in acute heart failure, including:

• Kidney damage or kidney failure
• Liver damage due to fluid buildup in the liver
• Enlargement of the heart muscle
• Disorders of the heart valves

Prevention

There are several ways to prevent acute heart failure, including:

• Eat a nutritionally balanced diet and avoid foods that contain too much salt
• If you smoke, then quit smoking immediately
• If you have a disease that is a risk factor for heart failure, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, monitor it regularly and follow your doctor's advice
• Keep your body weight within normal range
• Exercise regularly

When to See a Doctor?

Go to the emergency department immediately for medical attention if you experience symptoms such as:

• Chest pain
• Fainting or severe weakness
• Rapid and irregular heartbeat associated with shortness of breath, chest pain or fainting
• Severe shortness of breath that occurs suddenly, accompanied by coughing up white or pink phlegm

Visit your doctor immediately if you have heart failure and notice any new symptoms. If you have been taking medication and there has been no visible change, see your doctor right away for proper treatment.

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