As we get older we, unfortunately, start to slow down. Perhaps that spot of gardening or day out has started taking that little extra out of you? While ageing naturally reduces your stamina, things like fatigue and breathlessness may also be a sign of something more worrisome such as heart failure.
Read other heart problem signs here.
A weak heart means something has damaged your heart muscles, thereby reducing the ability of your heart to pump blood effectively. High blood pressure, faulty heart valves, or a genetic disease such as congenital heart disease and cardiomyopathy are often to blame.
Many people tend to chalk off the symptoms of heart failure as natural ageing, but thankfully there’s an easy-to-remember system to help us identify these signs – FACES.
The FACES of Heart Failure
In 1994, The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) devised a handy tool for people to identify the symptoms of heart failure.
F = Fatigue
When the heart can't pump enough oxygen-rich blood to meet the body's energy needs, a general feeling of tiredness or fatigue sets in.
A = Activity limitation
People with heart failure are often unable to do their normal activities because they become easily tired and short of breath.
C = Congestion
Fluid build-up in the lungs can result in coughing, wheezing, and breathing difficulty.
E = Edema or ankle swelling
When the heart doesn't have enough pumping power to force used blood back up from the lower extremities, fluid can collect in the ankles, legs, thighs, and abdomen. Excess fluid can also cause rapid weight gain.
S = Shortness of Breath
Fluid in the lungs makes it more difficult for carbon dioxide in used blood to be exchanged for fresh oxygen. It may also be harder to breathe when lying down because gravity allows fluid from below the lungs to travel up the torso.
These five warning signs have been designed for people to seek out a further inquiry from their GP as to whether either they may be indicators of heart failure.
A Boost to Your Wellbeing
With Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), prevention and relief from symptoms are the pillars of what makes them efficient.
So treat your heart at Melbourne’s best TCM store, ThisHerb. Our Waverley and online store is stocked with Salv Tonic, a well-known TCM used to treat cardiovascular issues.
Salv Tonic’s 100% natural herbal remedy targets chest pain and reduces vascular and diabetic complications. Salv Tonic is also currently undergoing Phase II FDA clinical trials for unstable angina – the first remedy of its kind tested in the West.
Read how ThisHerb’s Salv Tonic improves heart health.
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