Can anyone give me some good information on Congestive Heart Failure?

(Mods, I wasn’t sure whether this should go here or in IMHO, so feel free to move it if necessary)

My mother sent an email on Friday with the results of a recent Echocardiogram. She has had at least one, maybe two in the past, but has never mentioned Congestive Heart Failure until now. She did have Arrhythmia and valve damage, so these are the previous conditions which precipitated the latest tests. In her email she said her CHF is moderate to severe, and that her heart is pumping at 45% to 50% normality. She was quick to say that it sounds worse than it really is, but I think she may just be trying to convince herself more than us.

I did some research on the internet, so I’ve got a pretty good idea of the causes, symptoms, and available treatments (lifestyle changes, medications, and surgery included.) However, the main question I have is, of course, survival rates. I was always under the impression that people could live for many years with CHF without any major problems, but that was just an assumption I made without any education on the subject. In my research, the only report I could find on survival rates was very bleak. It said that CHF has a high mortality rate in the first 1-5 years, and that if not diagnosed within the first year, those afflicted are more or less doomed.

I came here first because Dopers in general seem to be a highly educated lot. I also figure many of you here have had personal experiences with CHF, and can give me some idea of what my mother (and my family, eventually) should expect. Thanks!

It sounds like you have already well-educated yourself, Okielady. As an RT I see a lot of CHF / pulmonary edema in my ER, but it hasn’t always been fatal. However, pulmonary edema is called one of the most “severe” symptoms of CHF.

Is she on Lasix (a diuretic)?

From a respiratory standpoint, watch out for sweating, wheezing and swelling of the lower extremities. There are other signs, but since I am not a physician I don’t feel comfortable listing them here.

I applaud your desire to inform yourself about CHF, and you are right to be concerned about your mother. Best wishes to both of you!

Quasi

My mom has been on Lasix for a long time. She’s really not in good health, and hasn’t been for years. She’s diabetic (borderline - which she has been able to control with diet mostly), has asthma, high blood pressure, arrhythmia and valve damage to her heart (as mentioned before), she has difficulty ambulating due to knee and hip problems, and she’s been on blood thinners for a while now because of a tendency to get blood clots in her legs. She also spent most of her life severely overweight, which I’m sure contributed to many of these problems, and was likely even an underlying cause of some. She managed to lose over 150 pounds back in the mid to late 90s. She’s still somewhat overweight, but it’s not out of control any longer.

So I had all these reasons to worry before, and now I am adding CHF to the list. Thanks for your answer, and your well-wishes, Quasi. I really appreciate the help!