TimothySexton.com

In most cases, congestive heart failure occurs on the left side of the heart because that is the side that receives the blood that has most recently received oxygen from the lungs, but the disorder is certainly not limited to just the left side; the right half of your heart is a target as well.  The right side of the heart is the part that receives the blood that has been depleted of oxygen and that propels the blood forward to the lungs to correct that circumstance.  Regardless of whether congestive heart failure begins on the right or left side, however, both will eventually succumb since both halves of the heart work in tandem in the process of reoxygenation of your blood.

The number of cases per year of congestive heart failure is growing, but that is not due to the fact that the causes are increasing.  For the past few decades the number of cases of congestive heart failure has remained pretty steady at roughly 5 million cases per year, but that number is expected to continue growing as the baby boom generation makes the unpleasant transition merely being old to actually becoming elderly.  In addition, many people who might not have lived long enough to suffer from congestive heart failure are doing so as a result of surviving other medical conditions that had produced a higher rate of fatalities.  People who have survived heart attacks are now living long enough to suffer congestive heart failure; in fact, suffering a heart attack actually increases the risk of congestive heart failure. 

As with most other health problems, both drugs and surgery have been utilized to help after the onset of congestive heart failure, but there’s nothing better than preventative medicine to reduce the potential.  What steps can you take now to better increase your chances of avoiding congestive heart failure?

Reduce your salt intake.  Salt enables the body to better retain fluids, so limiting your daily intake of salt is the first step.  Exercise is something that nobody wants to do, but is included in practically every regimen of preventative health care.  Exercise also strengthens your heart so should you be doing it anyway.  High stress levels leads to congestive heart failure so identify those stressors that can be controlled, altered, moderated or done away with entirely and take appropriate steps.