Reduced Heart Function

Reduced Heart Function is the condition when the heart doesn’t function properly. The name means that one or more chambers of the heart “fail” to keep up with the volume of blood flowing through them.

Reduced Heart Function may include the left side, the right side or both sides of the heart. Each side of the heart has two chambers — an atrium (upper chamber) and a ventricle (lower chamber). Total Heart failure occurs when any one of these four chambers is no longer able to keep up with the volume of blood flowing through it.

Heart dysfunction may affect the left, right or both sides of the heart.

• If the left half of the heart fails there would be fluid retention in the lungs due to congestion of the veins in the lungs.
• If the right half of the heart fails general body vein pressure will increase and fluid will accumulate in the body, especially in the legs and in the abdominal organs, with the liver most likely to be affected.

Most of the times left heart failure lead to right heart failure, causing biventricular failure which is an extremely fatal condition. Reduced Heart Function leading to a heart failure usually is a chronic disease condition that gradually gets worse. So, there is a good reason to have regular health checkups. If this is an ongoing practice then during a routine physical examination, your doctor may detect signs of heart failure long before you experience symptoms.

Symptoms :

Typical signs of heart failure include:

Left-sided heart failure

• Shortness of breath together with a reduction in mobility
• Breathing problems in case of exertion in patients with less severe problems
• A dry cough
• Fatigue.

Right-sided heart failure and biventricular failure

• Swelling in the legs (oedema).
• Swelling may lead to dry skin on the lower part of the legs. Presence of eczema-type rash on legs, which can be complicated by ulcers that do not heal
• Accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity and organs, especially the liver.
• At the same time the other organs try to compensate for the dysfunction for example:
• Heart Enlargement
• Heart Pumps Faster
• Blood Vessels
• Blood Flow Is Diverted

Causes :
There could be many causes for the reduced heart function which can be caused by many diseases.

• Hypertension
• Heart valves diseases
• Ischaemic heart disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Congenital heart diseases
• Endocrine disorders
• Anaemia (rare)

Treatment :

Heart failure is a progressive disease, with the potential for gradual deterioration. Treatment can often only slow down the progression of the illness and substantially increase your quality of life and span as well.

• Treat causes of heart failure
• Stopping smoking,
• Reduction in weight
• Controlling high blood pressure.

Use of drugs asAspirin Clopidogrel (Plavix) can be given instead of aspirin.

• Prescription of agents for increasing cardiac function such as Digoxin, Beta Blockers, ACE inhibitors, Diuretics etc.