Congestive heart failure
03-23-12, 01:38 PM
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Congestive heart failure
Misspelling on that thread title. I meant "HEART failure"
I have an extremely overweight (500 lb+) relative who went to the hospital the other day and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I've been worried about her for years and this is the sort of thing I was afraid of. (And part of what encourages me to ride my bike and get rid of my own excess baggage.) I've been reading up on what the condition is and what causes it, but I am wondering what it means as far as recovery for her, and her future ability to exercise and get out of this danger zone.
I figure the clydes forum may have some folks who have been through such a scare. Can anyone offer some insight? Thanks.
I have an extremely overweight (500 lb+) relative who went to the hospital the other day and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I've been worried about her for years and this is the sort of thing I was afraid of. (And part of what encourages me to ride my bike and get rid of my own excess baggage.) I've been reading up on what the condition is and what causes it, but I am wondering what it means as far as recovery for her, and her future ability to exercise and get out of this danger zone.
I figure the clydes forum may have some folks who have been through such a scare. Can anyone offer some insight? Thanks.
03-23-12, 02:00 PM
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I haven't suffered from it and am not a doctor, but my uncle died from it so I'll tell you what I know.
The most common cause is long-term hypertension. As I understand it, the extent to which the damage to the heart muscle is reversible depends on its cause, so obviously there's no way anyone over the internet can give you any help with that, but if the heart muscle has hypertrophied I think non-surgical remedies are few.
As far as my uncle was concerned, he was encouraged to exercise - apparently it helps maintain such cardiac function as remains - and put on a low sodium, low fluids, no booze diet, as well as blood-pressure meds. He was never obese so that wasn't an issue.
That's all I can tell you, sorry.
The most common cause is long-term hypertension. As I understand it, the extent to which the damage to the heart muscle is reversible depends on its cause, so obviously there's no way anyone over the internet can give you any help with that, but if the heart muscle has hypertrophied I think non-surgical remedies are few.
As far as my uncle was concerned, he was encouraged to exercise - apparently it helps maintain such cardiac function as remains - and put on a low sodium, low fluids, no booze diet, as well as blood-pressure meds. He was never obese so that wasn't an issue.
That's all I can tell you, sorry.
03-23-12, 02:03 PM
#3
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My wife says I have congestive hear failure. ;-)
Hopefully this trip to the hospital to be serious about doing something about her weight. I don't have any experience of the condition but I hope she can recover.
Hopefully this trip to the hospital to be serious about doing something about her weight. I don't have any experience of the condition but I hope she can recover.
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03-23-12, 02:21 PM
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Lots of things can be responsible for Congestive Heart Failure. If she's up there over 65, then coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, excessive drinking, thyroid problems, etc. can all cause it. Even old folks who get ill, have a fever where the virus attacks whole body and leaves heart, lungs in tired shape can keel over from congestive heart failure. Simply, the heart ain't pumping enough and that allows a whole host of problems to emerge like fluid build-up in the lungs, or in extremities (leading to edema) and this can tax the kidneys which try to help the heart pump by retaining even more fluid, etc. Seeing obese folks who wheez doing any kind of exertion is a bad sign and make them prime candidates for CHF.
Recovery isn't always a sure thing. The causes that led to down to the path of CHF need to be corrected. If that was bad diet, poor weight management, and lack of exercise, then suffering from CHF makes it doubly hard because with a heart that might give out at any time, how does one lose weight and exercise? The heart isn't working sufficiently to barely allow survival. And it's likely that poor diet and sedentary lifestyle caused this and those are brutally hard to change.
If the cause was partial liver failure, kidney failure, leading to CHF, due to say, excessive drinking, then it may be possible to stop, go through detox, and if you survive that, given time, the liver and kidneys might recover and then whatever blood diseases were spawned by bad liver and kidney function might reverse and then the heart recovers.
Typically, my doctors sent me to a seminar on staying healthy, and it was like a "scared straight" dose of reality. They told us in the room that once you get to the point of CHF, recovery is really hard. Once your system disables you that much, it's hard to survive let alone practice good diet and exercise. So mostly, they watch patients get ever more hospitalization, and one day, they die. It's best to not wait until you get CHF and really maintain health, take prescribed meds, and do the right thing.
Recovery isn't always a sure thing. The causes that led to down to the path of CHF need to be corrected. If that was bad diet, poor weight management, and lack of exercise, then suffering from CHF makes it doubly hard because with a heart that might give out at any time, how does one lose weight and exercise? The heart isn't working sufficiently to barely allow survival. And it's likely that poor diet and sedentary lifestyle caused this and those are brutally hard to change.
If the cause was partial liver failure, kidney failure, leading to CHF, due to say, excessive drinking, then it may be possible to stop, go through detox, and if you survive that, given time, the liver and kidneys might recover and then whatever blood diseases were spawned by bad liver and kidney function might reverse and then the heart recovers.
Typically, my doctors sent me to a seminar on staying healthy, and it was like a "scared straight" dose of reality. They told us in the room that once you get to the point of CHF, recovery is really hard. Once your system disables you that much, it's hard to survive let alone practice good diet and exercise. So mostly, they watch patients get ever more hospitalization, and one day, they die. It's best to not wait until you get CHF and really maintain health, take prescribed meds, and do the right thing.
03-23-12, 02:28 PM
#5
You gonna eat that?
Sorry to hear it, Yo Spiff. I hope she can get better.
Is this a relative that was with you at the food truck park when we met a few weeks back?
Is this a relative that was with you at the food truck park when we met a few weeks back?
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I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
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"However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
03-23-12, 02:58 PM
#6
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No. This relative is the same age as myself, which makes it even more frustrating.
03-23-12, 03:05 PM
#7
You gonna eat that?
Ah. Very frustrating.
Back home in Buffalo, there seems to be a pretty even split between siblings/cousins.... some are (reasonably) fit for their age; others are very obese. Interestingly, it seems to follow economic lines- most of the ones that are better off are fit; the ones that are struggling financially not so much. Of my parents' generation, nearly all are obese. My mom is one of the few that actually tries to watch her weight.
Back home in Buffalo, there seems to be a pretty even split between siblings/cousins.... some are (reasonably) fit for their age; others are very obese. Interestingly, it seems to follow economic lines- most of the ones that are better off are fit; the ones that are struggling financially not so much. Of my parents' generation, nearly all are obese. My mom is one of the few that actually tries to watch her weight.
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I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
03-23-12, 03:10 PM
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Follow your medication faithfully. CHF is a chronic condition that gets worse each time you have an episode, and the damage is cumulative. The good news is that you can reverse the damage with a responsible activity plan and following your cardiologists instructions.
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03-23-12, 03:12 PM
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She will need to manage her fluid levels with medication and diet.
She might be able to exercise though a cardiac rehab facility. They have classes on fitness and nutrition and are run by an RN and a team of physiologists coordinating with the patients cardiologist.
She would be working out at gym with a heart rate monitor and careful supervision. It would be a safe place for her to get into better shape. Most are eligible for insurance coverage.
Worth looking into if she is motivated.
She might be able to exercise though a cardiac rehab facility. They have classes on fitness and nutrition and are run by an RN and a team of physiologists coordinating with the patients cardiologist.
She would be working out at gym with a heart rate monitor and careful supervision. It would be a safe place for her to get into better shape. Most are eligible for insurance coverage.
Worth looking into if she is motivated.
03-28-12, 08:18 AM
#10
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To update: My wife and the other sister drove to visit her over the weekend (4 1/2 hour drive from us). She's presently doing ok for someone in such a condition, but if she doesn't get on the stick and make some serious lifestyle changes, it will be life threatening. She has to lose weight, get exercise and figure out how to manage the stress of being a single parent to teenage boys. Unfortunately, she will have to get in shape in order to be able to get into shape. I won't even think of suggesting cycling for a while.
She lost her dad a few years back because he didn't take care of himself the way he was told to, so this scares her, big time. My wife is very grateful to see me riding my bike so much.
She lost her dad a few years back because he didn't take care of himself the way he was told to, so this scares her, big time. My wife is very grateful to see me riding my bike so much.
