A heart cough also known as a cardiac cough will sound like a wet cough or a gurgly sounding cough.
Doctors often hear the heart cough or cardiac cough as a rales or crackles sound when they listen to your lungs with a stethoscope.
The heart cough or cardiac cough may also be accompanied with wheezing or a whistling sound and the heart cough or cardiac cough may also produce some blood tinged or pink sputum.
A key characteristic of a heart cough or cardiac cough is that it often gets worse when laying down due to the fluid buildup in your lungs.
The stage of heart failure that is swollen legs is in stage C and stage D of heart failure.
Swollen legs occur in stage C and stage D of heart failure due to the heart's pumping ability becoming impaired significantly.
In stage C heart failure, the swelling of the legs may be milder or localized, although stage D of heart failure, it's often more pronounced, severe and widespread in the legs, feet and abdomen.
In stage C of heart failure, you might experience limitations during physical activity and symptoms like fatigue, breathlessness and swelling might appear.
And at this point of heart failure, you are showing symptoms of heart failure, but might not yet be at the advanced stage of heart failure.
In stage D which is the advanced stage of heart failure, the swelling becomes more severe and debilitating, which causes symptoms like fatigue, rapid heartbeat, nausea and fainting spells, severe limitations in daily activities, difficulty breathing, even at rest and significant buildup of fluid also called edema in your abdomen, ankles and legs.
Swollen legs occur in heart failure because the heart can't pump blood efficiently and so the blood backs up in the veins.
This backup of blood in the veins causes fluid to build up in your body's tissues and leads to the swelling.
The swelling in the legs and feet and ankles and even the belly or abdomen can also be a result of the kidneys not working properly to remove excess sodium and water and it's also known as edema when the swelling occurs.
The reason why the belly swells with heart failure is because the heart is weakened in heart failure and the weakened heart cannot pump blood as efficiently as it normally should, which causes a backup of fluid that leaks into the tissues, which is a condition called edema.
The fluid buildup, especially in your abdomen, is often accompanied with weight gain and can also cause fluid to build up in your lungs and lead to shortness of breath.
This condition is also known as ascites in severe cases and can be due to a backup in the liver and gut.
The swelling or pain in your belly or upper abdomen can occur due to the buildup of fluid, which is a frequent symptom of worsening heart failure.
The three foods heart failure patients should avoid are food high in saturated fats and trans fats, sugary drinks and sodas as well as sugary foods and high sodium processed foods.
Examples of high sodium processed foods that heart failure patients should avoid are frozen dinners, canned soups, fast foods, processed foods like hot dogs, bacon, ham, salty snacks like pretzels and chips and condiments like salad dressing and soy sauce.
These foods should be avoided when you have heart failure as excess sodium causes your body to retain fluid, which increases blood pressure and strains the heart as well as causes swelling.
Examples of foods that are high in saturated fats and trans fats that you should avoid with heart failure are fried foods, fatty cuts of red meat and foods that are made with shortening or lard.
The reason why heart failure patients should avoid these foods high in saturated fats and trans fats are because the fats can raise bad cholesterol levels also known as LDL cholesterol and can result in a buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries and increase your risk of a heart attack and stroke.
Sugary drinks and sugary foods should also be avoided in heart failure as the added sugars provide empty calories, contribute to weight gain and can worsen your blood sugar control.
The silent killer of heart failure is high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is the silent killer of heart failure, because high blood pressure does not have any symptoms and can damage your arteries and lead to heart failure.
Other underlying conditions that can cause heart failure can also be silent killers of heart failure as they progress over time without any obvious symptoms that can include high cholesterol, diabetes and coronary artery disease.
High blood pressure puts extra strain on your arteries and usually has no symptoms and uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage your arteries and make it harder for your heart top pump the blood effectively and increase your risk of a heart attack as well as heart failure over time.
The only way to know if you do have high blood pressure is to check your blood pressure with a blood pressure monitor.
Walking is also good for heart failure as walking helps get the blood flowing and your heart pumping and increases your functional capacity.
When you have heart failure you should aim to remain as active as possible and when walking, start slowly and then gradually increase the duration and intensity of your walks.
Even walking around the house, walking around a mall, store etc can help with heart failure.
Regular walking can help to reduce shortness of breath and improve your ability to perform daily activities and physical activity including walking helps your heart get stronger and improves the hearts ability to pump blood more effectively.
Walking and regular physical activity also helps to regulate your blood pressure and lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol as well as aid in weight management, which all also reduce strain on your heart.
Walking also enhances circulation and stimulates the growth of new blood vessels, which also improves circulation and ensures your heart gets the oxygen that it needs.
A weak heart can become strong again in some cases, although it depends on how weak the heart is and how severe the heart failure is.
If the weak heart or heart failure is in it's earliest stages, it can be easier for the heart to become strong again, although if the heart weakness or heart failure is too far advanced, the heart might not recover.
Strengthening a weak heart will involve a combination of medical treatments as well as lifestyle changes, becoming active, eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, getting adequate sleep and managing stress.
Doctors might prescribe medications for a weak heart to manage the symptoms and improve your hearts function.
These medications that a doctor may prescribe for your weak heart are ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and even diuretics to help with the blood flow as well as lower your blood pressure and reduce fluid buildup.