
Heart failure isn’t something you can face alone. That’s why the team at Altru’s Heart Failure Success Clinic is here for you. The clinic provides comprehensive and expert care for all stages of the disease in order to improve your quality of life.
Heart failure means your heart isn’t pumping blood the way it ought to, and this can cause serious complications.
If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you should make an appointment with a cardiovascular specialist at the Heart Failure Success Clinic as soon as possible:
There are three types of heart failure: left-sided heart failure, right-sided heart failure and congestive heart failure. To determine whether you have heart failure and what specific type it is, your doctor will perform a physical exam and draw blood.
Other diagnostics will likely include a combination of the following:
Heart failure is a chronic condition that cannot be cured, but many treatment options are available that can improve your prognosis and quality of life, and the staff at the Heart Failure Success Clinic will work with you to consider your options. One starting point will likely be lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, increasing exercise and eating a healthy diet with little or no alcohol and caffeine, which can make a big difference.
Your treatment plan may also include medications like ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, diuretics or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). Some patients will also need surgical procedures to remove arterial blockages, while others may need implantable defibrillators, a pacemaker to improve heart rhythms or a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to assist in pumping blood. Some high-risk patients will need heart transplantation as a last resort.
What to Expect If You’re Hospitalized for Heart Failure
The multidisciplinary team at Altru’s Heart Failure Success Clinic will work with you and your family to create a comprehensive plan of care, including nutrition advice, medication management and cardiac rehabilitation.
Your heart health can’t wait. Call 701.780.6236 to schedule an appointment with Altru’s Heart Failure Success Clinic.
If you’ve got arthritis, you may already know that cold weather can make joint pain seem worse. Affecting 1 in 4 American adults , arthritis presents ...
Continue ReadingOver the last two years, testing for viral illness has changed with the introduction of new coronavirus strains and rapid COVID tests. Fortunately, ...
Continue ReadingUpdated on: 12/21/2021 The holiday season brings a lot of opportunities and experiences with busy or large crowds, holiday music, bright lights and ...
Continue ReadingUpdated 2.3.2022 Cancer. A heavy topic, but never more so than when discussed in the doctor’s office. In the United States, 23.3 million people have a ...
Continue ReadingNo matter your age or how healthy you are, the benefits of having a primary care provider (PCP) are many. Physicians, physician assistants and nurse ...
Continue ReadingIn January 2008, Jim Karley started having chest pain in his office at the Johnstown Bean company. He decided to consult with Dr. Casey Ryan. “It ...
Continue ReadingVegetables are a great way to bulk up any meal and provide extra nutrients to your diet. However, they aren’t everyone’s favorite thing to eat and can ...
Continue ReadingThe holiday season is a time of social gatherings, most of which include eating. Managing diabetes is challenging even without the holiday stress. The ...
Continue ReadingEnd-of-life planning. Not easy to talk about, but important to do. What are advance directives? What is palliative care and/or hospice care? How can I ...
Continue ReadingTouch. Taste. Sound. Sight. Smell. Body Awareness. Balance. We often take our senses for granted. The sound of waves crashing on the lakeshore. The ...
Continue Reading