It is a very serious heart condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s circulatory needs. The congestive heart failure often worsens over time but it is possible to live with this disease for many years.
When someone has congestive heart failure, then the fluid collects in the lower legs, causing shortness of the breath or swelling in the lungs. Also, there can be other symptoms of congestive heart failure, such as waking up after a few hours of sleep due to shortness of breath; need to urinate at night; loss of appetite; rapid weight gain due to fluid retention; dizzy spells; wheezing, or in severe cases the coughing up of pinkish phlegm; swelling in the lower extremities; fatigue and weakness, especially during physical exertion that is a result of insufficient oxygen reaching the muscles.
The congestive heart failure can be caused by any condition which leads to a change in the heart’s pumping power, such as damage caused to the heart muscles as a result of heart attack, or hardening and thickening of the heart muscles as a result of diabetes, improperly functioning heart valves and longstanding high blood pressure. You need to talk with your doctor if you suffer from congestive heart failure before you start using some of the below mentioned home remedies so in this way you will avoid side effects.
Home remedies for congestive heart failure
Reduce stress: It is known fact that the hormones which are released by the body in response to depression, anxiety and stress can make the heart to work harder. You should practice relaxation techniques, volunteer and seek positive social interactions. You can make the relaxing breath exercise because it can improve the oxygenation of blood and take workload off the heart. Next, it is give one exercise which you can make if you suffer from congestive heart failure.
Firstly, you should inhale and exhale through your nose, keep your mouth closed but relaxed. You should breathe in and out in equal duration, but as short as possible. This exercise is known as a noisy breathing exercise. Secondly, you should try for 3 in and out breathe cycles per second. This is producing a quick movement of the diaphragm. You should breathe normally after each cycle. You should not do for more than 15 seconds if it is your first try. Each time you are practicing stimulating breath, you can increase your time by 5 seconds or so until you have reached a time of a full minute.
Hawthorn berries: There are some studies in which are said that the hawthorn berries can increase the action of digoxin which is making possible to decrease the dose of digoxin and this can help you to avoid or lessen the digoxin – related side effects. There are some patients with mild congestive heart failure who have reported that hawthorn berries helped them to get a relief from this condition.
Many doctors approve hawthorn berries as heart medicine. It can improve the heart’s ability to metabolize energy and utilize oxygen. Also, the hawthorn berry extract has flavonoids which can increase the heart muscle’s force of contraction. Also, it can help to normalize irregular heartbeats, help lower the blood pressure and enhance the circulation by dilating the arteries. It is recommended taking for 500 – 1500 mg on daily basis or as a tincture with water 3 times per day. Also, you can drink hawthorn berry tea as prevention for congestive heart failure.
Garlic: This home remedy has been used for centuries to boost the heart health, as well as other things. When the garlic is crashed, then you can see a compound called allicin. This component is giving the garlic a stinky odor. Doctors believe that allicin can help to keep your arteries flexible and the blood flow will be improved. It is known that the garlic has a lot of positive health benefits on the cardiovascular health. It can help to lower the inflammation, blood pressure and cholesterol.
This will decrease your risk of stroke and heart attacks. Other doctors disagree that garlic can help in the natural treatment of congestive heart failure for sure. This is a reason why you need to talk with your doctor if you suffer from congestive heart failure before you start using garlic in your diet. It is always recommended to use fresh garlic and not garlic supplements. Also, you should talk with your doctor if you should add garlic in your diet if you are taking blood thinners or you suffer from blood clotting disorder.
Control risk factors: You should talk with your doctor about your risk factors, like atherosclerosis, diabetes and high blood pressure and the best way to keep them at bay because they can increase your risk of congestive heart failure.
Flaxseed: This natural cure can help you to keep your cholesterol levels in check. If you have a high risk of high cholesterol, then you should not take it in a place of your medication. This natural cure is rich in Omega – 3 fatty acids which is a smart choice for the heart health.
These fatty acids can help to lower your blood pressure and inflammation. Also, they have a fiber – rich compounds called lignans which can help to reduce the cholesterol and plaque buildup in the arteries. You should eat flaxseeds because in this way you will get the most benefits for your heart. These seeds should be ground, milled and preferably fresh so in this way they will have positive effects on your heart health.
Avoid salt: It is known that sodium is promoting fluid retention. You should avoid high – sodium foods, heavily processed foods and unnecessary salt because they increase your risk of congestive heart failure.
Quit smoking: It is very important to quit smoking if you do because tobacco has direct and damaging effects on the cardiovascular system.
Red yeast rice: If you want to lower your cholesterol level but you do not want to take a prescription drug, then the yeast mixed with fermented rice is the right choice for you. This home remedy is a naturopathic statin and there are many studies in which are said that it can work efficiently. Also, it can help to ease the statin – related muscle pain.
Coenzyme Q10: This home remedy is used as a natural treatment for the congestive heart failure. When you are taking drugs to lower the cholesterol and you have muscle pain as a side effect, then doctors agree that Coenzyme Q10 is effective home remedy. This coenzyme is found naturally in nearly every body tissues, including the heart. It can help to your cells to make energy which is needed for their growth.
There are different studies in which people are in doubt if this home remedy really works. It has been shown that coenzyme Q10 keeps the blood vessels flexible. Also, it can fight off a condition which is affecting the lining of the blood vessels that can lead to stroke, heart disease and high blood pressure.
There was one study in which was said that elderly people who took Coenzyme Q10 with selenium, which is also anti – oxidant, in a period of four years, have reduced their risk of heart – related deaths in half. Also, there are other studies in which are noticed that 87% of people who suffer from congestive heart failure have noticed improvements in their condition after they took CoQ10 in a period of six months.
Usually, doctors are recommending starting with 180 mg on daily basis and then increasing to 360 mg over 3 weeks for people who suffer from congestive heart failure. There has been noticed significant relief from the symptoms of congestive heart failure in a period of few months. But you should talk with your doctor about the best recommended dosage for you.
L – carnitine: You should know that this is an amino acid which has shown that it can be used as a home remedy for the congestive heart failure. Usually, doctors are recommending 500 mg of this amino acid, two times a day. It has been used by marathon runners to enhance the athletic performance. It can increase the energy available to the heart muscle cells of the congestive heart failure patients by supporting the free fatty acid metabolism.
L – arginine: The L-arginine is also an amino acid. It can help to improve the blood flow to your heart by stimulating the endothelial cell releasing factor and it can inhibit a chain of complex reactions which can otherwise is a cause for the plaque to form in the arteries and stifle blood flow to the heart. It is recommended usage of two to four grams of L – arginine before going to bed.
References:
Congestive Heart Failure and Heart Disease. https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide-heart-failure#1 . Published September 5, 2018
Heart Failure Symptoms. https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/heart-failure/heart-failure-symptoms . Published May 23, 2018
How long can a person live with congestive heart failure? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321538.php . Published April 18, 2018
