Heart failure – also called congestive heart failure, occurs when the heart muscle doesn’t pump blood like it is supposed. Failure to pump blood properly allows for fluid to build up in the lungs, leading to shortness of breath and other heart-related conditions that leave the heart too stiff or weak to pump blood once it fills. Proper care and treatment can help reduce the symptoms of heart failure, giving victims a chance for survival. Quick CPR offers advanced cardiovascular life support training to ensure that these emergencies don’t take fatal turns.
It is essential to familiarize yourself with the different symptoms of heart failure to ensure that proper care is administered before the victim’s conditions deteriorate further. It is also vital to prevent and control conditions that cause heart failure, like obesity, coronary artery disease, and high blood pressure.
Heart failure can suddenly start, which is considered acute, or an ongoing condition where it is treated as chronic. The most common symptom of heart failure is shortness of breath when lying down or during an activity. This is usually accompanied by weakness and fatigue, and delayed care only puts the individual at risk. If you notice that someone is portraying such symptoms, it is vital to have them checked by a medical professional before the condition worsens.
Other common symptoms of impending heart failure include wheezing or persistent coughing, rapid heartbeat, and pink blood-tinged mucus. During your training at Quick CPR, we ensure that you can differentiate heart failure symptoms from other medical conditions and equip you with the necessary skills needed to address the situation with confidence.
An ACLS certification is not only meant for medical practitioners or occupational requirements, but it asserts your qualification and skills in providing emergency care to heart failure victims. Many heart-related emergencies occur outside the hospital setting, which means anyone can find themselves in a heart failure emergency. Quick CPR provides proper training that covers all the bases and ensures you can conduct an assessment before giving the needed care to save a life.
Heart failure is usually a result of impact from other conditions that damage or weaken the heart. However, it also occurs when the heart is too stiff and can’t pump blood to the rest of the body. Once the ventricles cannot fill blood correctly between beats, it overwhelms the heart, making it unable to satisfy the demand of pumping blood to the rest of the body.
Aside from stiffness, other causes of heart failure include medical conditions that weaken or damage the heart. People suffering from high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, or faulty heart valves, among others, are advised to visit a professional for checkups and treatment regularly.
There are two types of heart failure: Systolic heart failure and diastolic heart failure. Systolic heart failure occurs when the heart doesn’t squeeze with enough force, causing it to pump less oxygen. On the other hand, diastolic heart failure occurs when the ventricles fail to relax properly, despite pumping blood to the rest of the body. Contact us at Quick CPR for more information, and enroll today to acquire your ACLS certification from the best.