Luckily, there are many treatment options for heart failure.
The understanding of heart failure has come a long way over the past few decades, and there are now a number of treatments that have been shown to make people with heart failure live longer, feel better and avoid having to be admitted to hospital.
Establishing a healthy lifestyle is an essential part of managing heart failure. Because your heart is not functioning normally, your body is not able to deal with extra amounts of sodium or fluid. This means that you need to pay extra attention to your diet, particularly the amount of fluid you drink and the amount of sodium (salt) you eat.
Other healthy lifestyle changes that have a positive influence on your heart condition include getting regular exercise and managing stress levels.
There are a number of medications that have been shown to improve how you feel, make you live longer and prevent the need to be admitted to hospital. Finally, there are some “devices” (special types of pacemakers) that are used in certain cases to make you feel better or live longer.