Know the signs of heart failure – and don’t ignore them

The Irish Heart Foundation’s “Don’t Ignore the Signs of Heart Failure” campaign aims to educate the public about the warning signs of heart failure and encourage people who may be experiencing these symptoms not to ignore them and to discuss them with a doctor as soon as possible.

"One in five of us will go on to develop heart failure at some stage in our lives," says Dr Angie Brown, consultant cardiologist and medical director with the Irish Heart Foundation. "There are 90,000 people living with heart failure in Ireland at the moment and 10,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. There will be a 30 per cent increase in the number living with it by 2030 due to the ageing population and the development of better treatments for the condition."

But awareness of the signs and symptoms is still quite low, says Dr Brown.

One of the issues is that perceived symptoms can be due to other issues: “Breathlessness can be due to a chest infection or just being unfit. Fatigue is something everyone can suffer from at times,” she says.

The good news is that many of the causes can be prevented while others can be treated. “One of the main causes of heart failure is high blood pressure,” says Dr Brown. “But high blood pressure is very treatable. A leaking valve puts a strain on the heart, but this can also be treated. Of course, genetic disposition is something you can’t do anything about, but if you are aware of it you can cut down on other risk factors.”

The key message is that treatment is available, and she advises anyone concerned about heart failure to visit the KnowYourHeart.ie website to use the symptom checker, a free online tool to help people identify if they are experiencing heart failure symptoms. “If you think you have any of the symptoms go to your doctor immediately.”

Dr Brown will also be speaking at two regional patient information evenings in the Sligo Park Hotel on Wednesday, November 6th and in the Ashling Hotel, Dublin on Thursday, November 7th.

For more information about heart failure, to use the Irish Heart Foundation's heart failure symptom checker, and to register for the upcoming heart failure information evenings, visit KnowYourHeart.ie.