Keeping your ticker healthy is essential to a long and enjoyable life. But sadly, an unhealthy lifestyle or old age can mean that you end up getting poorly.
And in the worst cases, an unhealthy heart can lead to death.
The most common kind of heart failure is something called systolic congestive heart failure, which is commonly referred to as systolic heart failure.
Over in the US, around 6.5 million people are living with heart failure of some kind, with roughly half of these cases being systolic heart failure. It is also referred to as heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, or HFrEF.
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What is systolic heart failure?
Those with HFrEF encounter issues with the left side of their heart. When you lose function of this side of the heart, the muscle loses its ability to properly contract and pump enough blood around the body.
According to Alexandria Nyembwe PhD, a nurse and health writer in the United States, there are 12 major signs you might be suffering from systolic heart failure.
"Heart failure symptoms can sometimes begin suddenly, but symptoms usually develop slowly," Nyembwe says in an article for Health.com.
"In the early stages of systolic heart failure, symptoms may occur only when physically active.
"Over time, you may notice symptoms even at rest."
What are the symptoms of systolic heart failure?
According to Nyembwe people suffering from systolic heart failure will have an increased heart rate as well as heart palpitations, or the sensation of your heart racing.
Shortness of breath, especially at night or while lying down, is common alongside wheezing when breathing.
Those who have coughs that don't go away could have the particular kind of heart failure. On top of this weight gain and expansion of the stomach area due to fluid buildup is common.
Leg swelling is expected and for men, swelling of the scrotum could occur.
Bulging of major neck veins, which is called jugular vein distention, could happen to you, as well as a loss of appetite and growing confusion.
When to get help for suspected heart failure
If you're worried about your own health, the NHS says you should do a few particular things to address the concerns.
"See a GP if you experience persistent or gradually worsening symptoms of heart failure," the health service says.
"Call 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest A&E department as soon as possible if you have sudden or very severe symptoms.
"A number of tests can be used to help check how well your heart is working, including blood tests, an ECG and an echocardiogram."
What are the causes of heart failure?
Causes of heart failure include:
- Coronary heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Heart rhythm problems like atrial fibrillation
- Congenital heart disease
Tom Earnshaw