Heart Unit at University Hospital Limerick kick-starts vital awareness week
UL HOSPITALS Group’s Heart Unit facilitated over 2,500 outpatient appointments last year according to Clinical Nurse Specialist in Cardiology at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), Ciara Cahill.
This week marks Heart Failure Awareness Week which runs until Sunday, May 7.
Ms Cahill says it is important for patients who are diagnosed with heart failure to know that their heart is not about to stop. Heart failure describes a heart that is not working as well as it should and can affect people of any age.
Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood around the body, as the walls of the heart become too weak or too stiff to work properly.
It is estimated that 90,000 people live with the condition in Ireland. The Heart Failure Service at UHL has an active list of 460 patients.
The most common symptoms of heart failure include fatigue; shortness of breath, especially with activity or when lying flat; swollen feet, ankles or abdomen; and weight gain over a short period of time. Others may include loss of appetite; dizziness or near-fainting episodes; rapid heartbeat; changes in mood or a reduced ability to exercise.
“Symptoms like these happen when your heart is not pumping blood around the body efficiently, allowing excess fluid to pool in your lungs and elsewhere in your body, most usually your feet and ankles,” Ms Cahill said.
Reducing risk factors for heart disease will help prevent heart failure, such as not smoking, controlling high blood pressure, eating healthy food, maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active and drinking moderately.
“One of the primary aims of our clinic is admission avoidance, keeping our patients well in the community and avoiding the need for hospital admission. As a result, we often review patients on a weekly basis, or more often if required, in the event the patient may be suffering the early signs of deterioration,” Ms Cahill added.