Understanding the Flu if You Have Heart Disease.

According to official government surveillance statistics, Australia is experiencing its worst flu season in five years, which started two months earlier than usual and peaked three times higher than typical.

The United States, where the same flu typically tends to enter the country later in the year, is not in good shape given this news. The chief medical officers of the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, and American Lung Association organised a panel last month to talk about the approaching flu wave and what people can do to prepare for it.

According to Albert Rizzo, MD, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association, "We're concerned that this may be the worst flu season that we've seen in the last year or two." "People should start making plans right away to receive their flu immunizations."

A muscle, your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood throughout your body continuously. The cardiac muscle may become tight or weakened as a result of several disorders. The heart pumps inefficiently when this occurs. When the heart can no longer pump enough blood to meet the body's demands, heart failure results. Heart failure can result from a number of conditions, including:

Types of Heart Failure

Systolic or diastolic left-sided heart failure is both possible. When the left ventricle cannot contract sufficiently to drive blood out, systolic heart failure occurs. When the left ventricle is unable to relax and fill completely, diastolic heart failure occurs. Blood backs up into the lungs as a result of both kinds of left-sided heart failure.Right-sided: Fluid might back up into the belly, legs, or feet when the right ventricle isn't pumping effectively.

Heart Failure Symptoms

Belly pain: After eating, you can feel bloated or more satisfied.Breathing disturbance: You may experience constant or occasional shortness of breath. Additionally, coughing when lying down is possible.Sleep disruption: To stop coughing, you may need to prop yourself up with cushions. Gaining weight unexpectedly: Overnight, you could gain up to 2 pounds. Swelling: The accumulation of fluid due to inefficient cardiac pumping can cause swelling in the legs, ankles, or feet (edema).

Diagnosing Heart Failure

The most cutting-edge technologies are available through Penn's cardiovascular imaging services to assist your heart failure specialist in making a precise diagnosis. The amount of blood the left ventricle pumps out with each beat is measured by specialists using a concept called ejection fraction. Measurements of ejection fraction include:

Heart Failure Treatment at Penn Medicine

Heart failure can range in severity. With medicine or a change in lifestyle, mild heart failure may be treatable. You can adjust your lifestyle to slow the progression of heart failure with the assistance of the physicians in Penn's Primary Cardiology Program.You could require more extensive treatment if your disease gets worse. Our heart failure specialists provide medical services that are not offered elsewhere, such as:

Heart Transplant Surgery

When it comes to heart transplant surgery for heart failure that doesn't improve with medication or other treatments, Penn is a national leader. Compared to all other regional heart transplant hospitals put together, we conduct more heart transplants annually. Study up on our heart transplant programme.

Mechanical Circulatory Support

In order to support patients with heart failure, our Mechanical Circulatory Support Program has extensive experience employing ventricular assist devices (VADs). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is another technique our doctors employ to aid patients in recovering from acute heart failure.

Implantable Devices

Implanted devices like pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators are available as treatments (ICDs). These gadgets might help your heart pump enough blood and provide symptom alleviation.

Corrective Surgery

heart failure can be prevented with coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), which opens up clogged heart arteries. Treatment for heart valve diseases and minimally invasive cardiac surgery are used to fix or replace damaged heart valves. To completely or partially remove the rigid membrane that encircles the heart, do a pericardiectomy. Septal myectomy, to increase the size of the heart chambers while minimising the amount of the wall between the ventricles to improve blood flow