What are the treatments for chronic heart failure

Chronic heart failure requires scientific treatment, as well as some care and health care in life. Severe patients should rest in bed, eliminate their worries and fears, limit sodium salt intake, and eat a scientific diet.

(1) Rest: Limit physical activity. Severe cases require bed rest. However, long-term bed rest is prone to complications such as thromboembolism and bronchopneumonia. In addition, the patient's mental concerns and fears must be relieved. If necessary, small doses of sedatives such as diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), and meprobamate (Tranquil) can be added.

(2) Limit sodium salt intake: Sodium salt should be appropriately limited in your daily diet, and salted foods should be avoided. At present, due to the use of diuretics, especially some powerful sodium-excreting diuretics, sodium salt restrictions do not need to be too strict. This will not affect the patient's appetite and can also reduce the occurrence of hyponatremia syndrome.

(3) Use of diuretics: Diuretics can discharge excess body fluids, which can reduce peripheral and visceral edema, reduce blood volume, and reduce cardiac preload. Increase cardiac output and improve cardiac function.

Currently commonly used diuretics are: ① Thiazides and chlorthalidone: Commonly used ones are hydrochlorothiazide (hydrochlorothiazide), cyclopenthiazide, and chlorthalidone. ③ Loop diuretics: Most suitable for patients with acute left heart failure and pulmonary edema, and can also be used for patients with severe chronic heart failure who are ineffective with other diuretics. Large amounts of diuresis can lead to complications such as hypokalemia, hypovolemia, and circulatory failure, so care must be taken to regulate the intake. Commonly used preparations include ethacrynic acid, ethacrynic acid sodium, and furosemide (furosemide). ③ Potassium-retaining diuretics: Commonly used drugs include spironolactone (spironolactone) and triamterene.

(4) Vasodilators: Vasodilators can dilate peripheral arterioles, reduce the resistance of the heart when pumping blood, and reduce the heart's afterload (pressure load); they can also dilate peripheral veins, reduce the amount of blood in the heart, and thus reduce the heart's preload (volume load).