nurseforglass - Rare, but possible. If you have had pericarditis or endocarditis, the cardiac tissue may have been weakened by those infections that attack the heart muscle. There is one type of cardiac myopathy that has no identifiable cause(idiopathic) that can occur in young people. Sudden weight gain from water retention, chronic fatigue, exercise intolerance, difficulty breathing are some of the symptoms.
agf222 - It IS possible! I found out I had cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure when I was 29. It totally took me by surprise.
Some symptoms I had:
Had trouble breathing, went to ER a couple of times. The Dr.'s thought I had bronchitis. Put me on antibiotics, steroids and a nebulizer. Didn't work...
I had a HORRIBLE cough! Worse than any smoker I had ever heard.
I found it really uncomfortable to lay down flat. The last few nights before I was diagnosed with CHF I had to sleep sitting up at a 90 degree angle.
I had absolutely no tolerance for exercise. I had a hard time walking from one room to another. While in the hospital, the day before I was diagnosed, even shifting around in bed made me lose my breath.
I somehow gained 10 lbs mysteriously. Thought I was just eating too much (although I had pretty much lost my appetite completely) After they put me on Lasix, I lost all that weight in a day or two. Found out it was fluid building up in/around my lungs.
Some other symptoms: You might have swelling around your calves and ankles.
If you have CHF, it's not the end of the world! It is manageable with medications and light exercise (only doctor approved exercise, such as walking etc...) It has really changed my outlook on life (and some of my future plans) but I know it happened for a reason. I just don't know what that reason is yet. Your chances of getting it may or may not depend on your lifestyle. Some people catch a virus, but they usually recover in a few months. Some women get it after they have had a baby. Others smoke, don't eat right, don't exercise etc... and they get it that way. If you can prevent it at all, please do! Don't be like me and then later regret that you abused your body for many years.
N - That would be rare unless they were born with a heart condition or had some other illness that damaged the heart muscle.
ReplyDeleteSymptoms of CHF include swelling of the legs, difficulty breathing, exercise intolerance.
nurseforglass - Rare, but possible. If you have had pericarditis or endocarditis, the cardiac tissue may have been weakened by those infections that attack the heart muscle. There is one type of cardiac myopathy that has no identifiable cause(idiopathic) that can occur in young people. Sudden weight gain from water retention, chronic fatigue, exercise intolerance, difficulty breathing are some of the symptoms.
ReplyDeleteagf222 - It IS possible! I found out I had cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure when I was 29. It totally took me by surprise.
ReplyDeleteSome symptoms I had:
Had trouble breathing, went to ER a couple of times. The Dr.'s thought I had bronchitis. Put me on antibiotics, steroids and a nebulizer. Didn't work...
I had a HORRIBLE cough! Worse than any smoker I had ever heard.
I found it really uncomfortable to lay down flat. The last few nights before I was diagnosed with CHF I had to sleep sitting up at a 90 degree angle.
I had absolutely no tolerance for exercise. I had a hard time walking from one room to another. While in the hospital, the day before I was diagnosed, even shifting around in bed made me lose my breath.
I somehow gained 10 lbs mysteriously. Thought I was just eating too much (although I had pretty much lost my appetite completely) After they put me on Lasix, I lost all that weight in a day or two. Found out it was fluid building up in/around my lungs.
Some other symptoms:
You might have swelling around your calves and ankles.
If you have CHF, it's not the end of the world! It is manageable with medications and light exercise (only doctor approved exercise, such as walking etc...) It has really changed my outlook on life (and some of my future plans) but I know it happened for a reason. I just don't know what that reason is yet. Your chances of getting it may or may not depend on your lifestyle. Some people catch a virus, but they usually recover in a few months. Some women get it after they have had a baby. Others smoke, don't eat right, don't exercise etc... and they get it that way. If you can prevent it at all, please do! Don't be like me and then later regret that you abused your body for many years.