Heart Failure Clinic

What is heart failure?

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart muscle becomes too weak to pump blood and oxygen throughout the body effectively. The condition occurs gradually because the heart first tries to compensate by becoming enlarged, pumping faster, or producing more muscle mass to thicken its walls. After a while, these alternatives are not effective and the heart becomes even weaker, causing blood to back up into the lungs and other parts of the body. This is why many individuals with heart failure experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, swelling in the extremities, and fatigue.

What are the symptoms of heart failure?

• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Swelling of feet and/or hands and/or stomach
• Chest pain/pressure
• Constant cough

What Are The Major Types of Heart Failure?

• Systolic heart failure means that your heart is not pumping well due to the heart muscle becoming weak and enlarged.
• Diastolic heart failure means that your heart muscle is stiff and doesn't relax normally. It cannot fill easily and cannot pump the right amount of blood.

Managing Heart Failure

FryeCare Cardiology's Heart Failure Clinic is available to assist you in managing heart failure symptoms and leading a healthier life. We can assist you in evaluating the severity of heart failure and provide education. We can also help to create an action plan that includes guidance related to medications, low salt diet, fluid intake, weight management, exercise and more. 

Patients will learn about:

• How the heart works
• Causes of heart failure
• Common medications
• A heart healthy diet
• The major types of heart failure
• Symptoms of heart failure
• How to manage heart failure

FryeCare Cardiology's Heart Failure Clinic is led by Nurse Pracitioner Lisa Robinson.

For more information, please call the Frye Heart Center at 828.485.3265.

A referral from your doctor is required.