Heart Failure: Signs, Diagnosis, and Natural Treatment Options
Cardiovascular diseases remain the primary cause of death worldwide. Heart failure affects about 5.7 million people in the United States. Within five years of heart failure diagnosis, patients face around a 50% mortality rate. Between diastolic, systolic, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) heart failure, cardiovascular damage is quickly becoming one of the most insidious and widespread medical crises.
Recognizing, diagnosing, and managing heart failure early is key. Cardiovascular preventative care can contribute to early intervention. Furthermore, holistic treatments, combined with expert testing, can reduce long-term heart damage.
Early Signs of Heart Failure
Heart damage has variable presentations. Many of the common symptoms are non-specific, making a clinical diagnosis difficult. These include:
- Fatigue and reduced stamina. Fatigue remains a general, non-specific symptom. Nevertheless, it may signal deep-seated health issues. One report found that 50.4% of men and 51.2% of women with heart failure experienced a high level of fatigue.
- Irregular heartbeat. Heart palpitation may result from additional exertion to mitigate reduced capacity.
- Nausea. According to the American Heart Association, lack of appetite and nausea are common symptoms of heart failure. This likely results from limited circulation to the digestive system.
- Rapid weight gain. Short-term weight gain has a correlation with hospitalization for heart failure.
- Chest pain. Chest pain is a hallmark of several cardiovascular conditions, including heart failure.
While these symptoms may present early, they may remain undetected until later stages of heart failure.
Diagnosing Heart Failure
Heart failure is typically diagnosed through clinical assessments and several diagnostic methods. Echocardiograms, CT scans, cardiac MRIs, angiograms, and stress tests are commonly used. However, these methods are expensive and time-consuming. As a result, they’re difficult to incorporate into preventative care. With such ambiguous clinical presentations, early and consistent testing is necessary.
Alternatively, blood testing is a non-invasive, efficient procedure. As a result, many are turning to blood tests to screen for heart failure in their patients. Access Medical Labs offers comprehensive testing to help you assess your patient’s heart function. Our customizable CardioPro panels provide results within 24 to 48 hours. They’re ideal for monitoring heart health during diagnosis and treatment.
Natural Treatments and Holistic Approaches
New evidence has shown promising results with alternative approaches for managing heart failure. In particular, three natural supplements have delivered results in treatment and prevention.
Hawthorn (crataegus). Oral application of hawthorn has shown promise for reducing symptoms of heart failure. One study examined patients suffering from stage II heart failure. Compared with placebo, those who consumed the hawthorn leaf extract saw reduced heart failure symptoms. By the end of the study, patients experienced a reduction in shortness of breath, fatigue, and rate-pressure products. Furthermore, they saw an increased exercise tolerance. This may be partly due to the hawthorn plant’s antioxidant effects. The hawthorn pulp showed the highest antioxidant effect in a study involving 28 different fruit pulps.
Ginsenosides (ginseng). Ginseng was once thought to dangerously increase blood pressure. However, ginseng actually balances blood pressure. It has been shown to both reduce high blood pressure and raise low blood pressure. Ginseng can increase blood circulation and stimulate NO production in the blood flow. In a study on rodents, panax ginseng promoted vasodilation. It shows promise as a holistic treatment for several heart conditions, including heart failure.
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Similarly, omega-3 PUFAs may benefit patients with heart failure. Omega-3 PUFAs have long been studied for its cardioprotective mechanisms. They have powerful antioxidant effects and are shown to increase vasodilation. Omega-3 PUFAs may even be able to protect patients from heart failure following a myocardial infarction.
Work with your patients to apply these treatments independently or alongside conventional methods. For best results, it’s important to track the progress of treatment. Each patient may respond to the treatments differently. To find the most effective method for your patient, you need in-depth, immediate results.
Trustworthy Results with Access Medical Labs
Blood testing remains the most accessible method for diagnosing and monitoring heart failure. With an industry-leading turnaround time, our panels allow you to continually shift your approach. The result is personalized, ideal patient care. Our CardioPro panels give you microscopic data on your patients’ heart health.
From our basic to our advanced panels, Access Medical Labs allows you to create personalized care plans to maintain your patient’s heart health. In particular, our CardioPro Advanced Plus Panel provides a deeper look into cardiovascular function. It includes several key markers relating to metabolism and thyroid health, which allow you to develop highly customized plans for managing and monitoring heart failure symptoms. We’re committed to helping you provide the best patient care. Explore blood testing and more from Access Medical Labs.
