[뉴스토피아 정대윤 기자]“Cancer” is a word that sends chills to the liver just hearing it. Cancer continues to be the leading cause of death in Korea. Perhaps this is why cancer is the disease that many people worry and fear the most. So what is the next disease that threatens our lives after cancer? It’s a heart disease. Today we will talk about heart failure, which is one of the leading causes of death in elderly patients.
According to statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Evaluation Service, more than 200,000 patients go to hospital due to heart failure every year. In 2020, more than 80% of patients were over 60 years old, and the majority of patients were elderly. Analyzing the patients by sex, a greater number of female patients was found than male ones, approximately 58%.
In weather conditions where the temperature fluctuates significantly throughout the day, the risk of arrhythmia, which causes the heart to beat faster or slower, increases. In particular, among arrhythmias, “ventricular tachycardia” and “ventricular fibrillation”, which cause accelerated heartbeats, require particular attention, as they can cause sudden death. (Image = provided by Adobe Stock) 01.15.2024. photo@newsis.com.ⓒNewsis
The heart is responsible for supplying blood to the entire body. However, for some reason, the heart’s relaxation and contraction functions may decrease, preventing it from adequately supplying the blood the body needs. This condition is called heart failure. The prevalence of heart failure increases with age and is a leading cause of death in elderly patients
Heart failure can be caused by a variety of causes. Coronary heart disease, such as myocardial infarction, is the most common cause, but heart muscle disease, hypertension, arrhythmia, and heart valve disease are also major causes. It is very important to control blood pressure, especially since the incidence of hypertension is high.
This type of heart failure can occur acutely or chronically. Acute heart failure refers to a condition that occurs suddenly or worsens, usually within a week, while chronic heart failure results from a weakening of the heart caused by high blood pressure that continues for a long period of time.
The most common symptom is difficulty breathing, with a feeling of shortness of breath. It can occur along with a cough, and if you feel excessively breathless even just walking up stairs, you may have heart failure. Additionally, because the heart cannot supply blood adequately, fatigue and reduced ability to exercise may occur. As the blood entering the heart stagnates, edema may appear. Typical signs of heart failure are as follows:
[심부전 의심 증상 체크리스트]
✔Difficulty breathing during physical activity: I feel breathless when walking with healthy people.
✔Enuresis: urinating more often at night than before.
✔ Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea: Difficulty breathing during sleep, which worsens when waking up or lying down.
✔ Edema of the lower limbs: swelling of the feet and ankles or abdominal distension.
✔Arrhythmia: Sometimes the heart beats faster than usual or is irregular and you experience dizziness.
If you experience these symptoms, you need to visit a hospital and get a diagnosis. Diagnosis is made using blood tests, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms and chest x-rays.
Meanwhile, to prevent heart failure, it is helpful to maintain a lifestyle that avoids excessive alcohol consumption, stress, and a consistently high heart rate as these can cause heart failure. You should exercise regularly, but exercising too vigorously is not a good idea. Especially, it is recommended for patients with myocardial infarction, hypertension, diabetes, etc. to go to hospital regularly to receive treatment.
If you have difficulty breathing or cough when lying down, it may help to raise the pillow near your head when lying down. At this time, you should limit unnecessary exercises and get plenty of rest until the condition stabilizes. Finally, if you suspect acute respiratory distress, arrhythmia, or stroke, you should go to the emergency room immediately.
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