1. Congestive Heart Failure When the heart is not able to pump the blood out into the circulation adequately, The blood starts to pool and back up into the lungs. This causes shortness of breath and the feeling of not being able to catch one’s breath. The work of the heart is affected by the lack of the heart muscle to pump enough blood to the body. The amount of pressure needed to pump blood into the circulation depends on the amount of resistance present in the blood vessels in the body. Blood backs up into the circulation causing edema or swelling of the legs, feet, ankles and the rest of the body. The amount of oxygen needed to give the heart muscle the ability to work depends on the ability of the lungs to get the oxygen. If fluid has backed up into the lungs, this prevents oxygen from getting to the body. Try swimming underwater and then taking a breath while under the water. This is the same idea in relation to breathing when the heart is not able to pump as strongly and effectively as it should. Limiting the amount of water and other fluids taken into the body by drinking prevents the heart from having to deal with too much blood to pump. Not using salt or products with high salt or sodium content reduces the amount of water kept in the body. This lowers the blood pressure and reduces the amount of blood in the circulation. When the blood pressure is high, the kidneys are affected too. They don’t work very well with not enough blood flow. The blood vessels leading to the kidneys narrow and don’t allow much blood flow into the kidneys. The kidneys are unable to remove excess fluid from circulation as a result. Imagine pushing against a brick wall as hard as you can while someone is pushing from the other side. The brick wall does not move nor does the energy from you go to the other person. The heart has to pump against the “brick wall” of the blood pressure in circulation. Blood pressure medication works to lower the pressure in the circulation while at the same time help the heart to work better. When the heart beats too fast, the amount of blood pumped out into circulation is decreased. The heart muscle tires and works even less well. The amount of oxygen needed by the heart muscle increases when the heart rate is fast. Lowering the heart rate then lowers the amount of oxygen needed by the heart muscle. Feeling short of breath when the heart is beating too fast is letting you know that your heart is using a lot of oxygen which is more than you can breath in. Your heart is working too hard. Keeping the blood pressure below 130/90 helps to lower the amount of work the heart has to do and also lowering the heart rate lowers the amount of oxygen needed by the heart to do its work. Medications that help lower the workload of the heart are: Beta blockers like inderal, metoprolol, carvedilol. They block the ability of the heart muscle to respond to substances in the body that regulate the heart rate. These substances are made by the nervous system. ACE inhibitors like Lisinopril, quinipril, and the like work on the kidney to lower the blood pressure while protecting the heart. They lower the amount of work the heart has to do as well. This lowers the amount of oxygen needed by the heart. Cholesterol is a substance needed by the body for good health. Too much cholesterol is not good because it then starts a process that allows particles to build up in the blood stream and stick to the inside of the blood vessels. This blocks blood flow and makes the heart have to work harder. Statins are a drug that lowers the cholesterol level in the blood which then helps to decrease this buildup. Aspirin is a drug that thins the blood and prevents the blood from clotting. Plavix is a drug that prevents the blood cells from sticking together and thus reduces the chance of clots forming. Together, these drugs work to lower the work of the heart and keep the heart working well.