Heart Failure Management

At Coastal Cardiovascular in Wilmington, NC, we specialize in comprehensive heart failure management to alleviate symptoms, prevent progression, and improve your overall quality of life.

Whether you’ve been recently diagnosed or have been living with heart failure for some time, our expert team is here to provide expert care, personalized treatment, and ongoing support so that you can live the best life possible!

What is Heart Failure?

Heart failure is a serious condition in which your heart is unable to effectively pump blood to meet your body’s needs. It can affect either left side, right side, or both sides of your heart.

There are 2 main types of heart failure:

Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fractions (HFrEF). This is when the heart’s left ventricle cannot contract effectively, reducing the amount of blood pumped to your body.
Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF). This is when the heart’s left ventricle becomes stiff and does not relax properly, limiting the heart’s ability to fill with blood.

Causes of heart failure include:

Coronary Artery Disease
High Blood Pressure
Heart Attacks
Valvular Heart Disease

Symptoms of heart failure include:

Fatigue and weakness
Shortness of breath, especially when exerting yourself or lying flat.
Irregular or a rapid heartbeat
Swelling in the legs, ankles, or abdomen
Reduced tolerance for exercise.
Difficulty concentrating or confusion

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, give us a call today to schedule an appointment to receive answers, support, and care!

Management and Treatment

Heart failure management requires a multidisciplinary approach that includes medication management, lifestyle modifications, and monitoring your heart function to make quality of life optimizations.

At Coastal Cardiovascular, we offer a full spectrum of care for our heart failure patients, focusing on immediate symptom relief and long-term management.

Medication

Medicine is essential to control heart failure and improve function. Proper medications can reduce fluid buildup, improve your heart’s pumping ability, lower blood pressure, and prevent your condition from worsening.

Here are some common medications we may prescribe:

ACE Inhibitors and ARBs (Angiotensin Receptor Blockers). These relax blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and reducing heart strain.
Beta-blockers. These help slow your heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and prevent an irregular heart rhythm.
Diuretics. These reduce fluid backup in the body, easing symptoms such as shortness of breath or swelling.
Aldosterone Antagonists. These help your body retain potassium and remove extra sodium to support your heart’s function.
Digitalis. This strengthens your heart’s contractions to help control irregular heart rhythms.
Anticoagulants. Depending on your symptoms and situation, we may prescribe blood thinners to reduce blood clots.

If we prescribe medication, we’ll carefully monitor your body’s response and adjust doses as needed to optimize your treatment.

Lifestyle Modifications

Certain lifestyle changes are crucial to managing heart failure and overall health. Our specialists will work with you to develop healthy habits that reduce symptoms, improve your heart health, and help you feel better on a daily basis.

Some modifications we may recommend include:

Diet Change. A low-sodium, heart-healthy diet is essential to manage fluid retention and strain on your heart. In some instances, we may recommend the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which aims to lower blood pressure. A Mediterranean diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats may be a great option as well.
Weight Management. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce strain on your heart and improve your symptoms. Even subtle weight loss can help your situation and heart function.
Exercise. Regular physical activity improves heart strength. We can provide tailored exercise recommendations that meet you where you are. We focus on safe, low-impact activities such as walking or swimming.
Fluid and Sodium Management. Monitoring and limiting fluid and sodium consumption may help prevent fluid buildup and swelling in your body.
Stress Management. Chronic stress can worsen heart failure symptoms. We recommend managing stress through techniques such as meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises, to name a few.

Making sustainable lifestyle changes is a great way to holistically improve your heart and overall health.

Advanced Management

Depending on the severity of your heart failure, we may recommend advanced treatment.

Some advanced management options include:

Implantable Devices. Pacemakers, Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs), or Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) can help improve heart function and rhythm.
Heart Transplantation. For patients with end-stage heart failure that doesn’t respond to other treatments, a heart transplant may be advised. We collaborate with transplant specialists to determine if this is the right option for you.
Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs). For our patients that are not heart transplant candidates but require advanced support, an LVAD may be used to facilitate effective heart pumping.

Heart failure doesn’t have to mean living with constant symptoms or fear. Our cardiologists are committed to providing the best care possible. With proper management and continuous care from our specialists, you can live an active, fulfilling life!

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Give us a call. We’re happy to discuss your heart failure needs and advise you on the best route to a solution.

910-685-3177

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