Heart Failure
Written by: Abdul Mutalib Jawad
The heart is responsible for pumping blood to all the organs of the body, but sometimes due to some diseases or excessive pressure, the heart cannot perform its task well and causes problems for the patient.
AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some heart patients and a physician about heart failure.
A patient, Muhammad Asif says, “I have heart disease. I always cough and it gets worse at night. I suffer from headaches, shortness of breath, and nausea.”
Another patient, Mina says, “I had shortness of breath, I didn't eat bread for two nights and days, and I was taking medicines on empty stomach. When the doctors examined me, they said that I have a heart problem.”
Doctor Safiullah Oryakhel, an internist at 203 beds hospital in Kabul city says, “Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen.
There are two types of heart failure, one on the right side of the heart and the other on the left side of the heart, each of which can have different symptoms and causes.
If the left side of the heart of the patient is damaged and the blood does not reach the left side, the patient will suffer from dizziness, shortness of breath, lethargy, headache, and low blood pressure, and if the right side of the patient has the problem of failure, the patient will have headache, dizziness and swelling all over the body. The patient's body starts from the feet and slowly moves upwards and there are other symptoms such as loss of appetite and fatigue.”
What do some people think about the causes of heart failure?
Sayed Bilal a resident of Khair Khana, district 11 of Kabul city says, “Those who eat fatty foods and are anxious and do not exercise are more are more prone to heart failure.”
Mir Ahmad from Kapisa province says, “Smoking, polluted air, and depression cause heart failure.”
Doctor Orayakhel says, “Although heart failure is a disorder, it has three main causes, one is diseases in which the heart does not receive enough oxygen. The second cause is high blood pressure and the third one is the diseases of the heart arteries, but the factors that contribute to this problem, for example, lack of blood and overactivity of the heart or diseases of a body organ require more oxygen and the heart tries to supply more blood and pump more.”
How do some patients prevent the exacerbation of heart failure?
A woman says, “I am suffering from diabetes but have controlled it, and it's good that I have not faced any kind of heart disease. I have a daughter, sons and grandsons and granddaughters but I do my house chores.”
Muhammad Asif says, “I am 78 years old. I regularly walk; avoid fatty foods and my blood pressure is normal and I am not suffered from disease yet.”
Doctor Oryakhel says, “Since this disease is more common with age, we should control our diabetes from the age of 30 onwards, we should have a regular lifestyle, control our weight, don't eat too much fat. Regularly exercise, and eat digestive foods. We should use vegetables, fruits, and foods such as squash that have fiber and are easily digested."