Living with heart failure
5/28/2010Nick Hartshorne-Evans was knocked for six when, aged just 39, he was diagnosed with heart failure.
However, with support from NHS East Lancashire's Heart Failure team, Nick, now 40, has found that the condition can be managed and there is support out there.
Nick, from Hapton, Burnley, commented: "I thought I was in good health - I hadn't been admitted to hospital since I was a child, and I wasn't even registered with a GP - I didn't feel the need to."
That all changed last Christmas, when a viral infection sparked a more serious health issue. Nick recalled: "Initially, GP's suspected that it might be a liver or kidney problem. I guess that being so young, heart failure is not a diagnosis you would immediately reach. When I was admitted to the Royal Blackburn Hospital, I went for an ultrasound which confirmed the condition."
The most common cause of heart failure is coronary heart disease or high blood pressure, but sometimes failure may be caused by drinking excessive alcohol and recreational drug use. Heart failure can also be caused by a leaking heart valve, or anaemia, all of which add an extra strain on the heart. However, Nick's heart failure stemmed from a rare viral attack, which was confirmed through an MRI scan.
Though its name may suggest otherwise, if it is spotted early enough, heart failure is manageable, through prescribed medication and lifestyle changes. The common symptoms to look out for are severe breathlessness especially at night, swollen feet and ankles and an excessive dry cough. NHS East Lancashire's GPs use a BNP test, a blood test that can be used to ascertain the probability of heart failure.
After being diagnosed, Nick was admitted to the coronary care unit at The Royal Blackburn Hospital, where he spent three weeks. "The care I received was fantastic, the attentiveness of the team was second to none," Nick recalled.
It was at The Royal Blackburn Hospital that Nick met Angela Graves, the nurse manager for the heart failure team. Nick commented: "Angela talked through my condition whilst still in hospital. This gave me the opportunity to ask all the questions I wanted, and get practical information about how to live with heart failure. This for me was a very important stage for managing heart failure."
Once discharged, Angela visited Nick at home, to check on his progress. Nick added: "Fortunately, my symptoms are now stable and thanks to speaking to Angela and her team and other patients with heart failure, I know what signs to look out for. But too many people don't know enough about the condition, or they see it as something that just affects older people."
Angela added: "All too often, people don't know they have heart failure until the condition is well developed. This can then make the chance of recovery slim. So part of our role in the heart failure team is to make people aware of what to look out for and raise awareness of this through GP surgeries."
Angela and the team have organised a number of initiatives to support patients and carers, including setting up a patient and carers forum. There are also plans to set up a support group run by patients. A strong advocate for heart failure awareness, Nick is keen to progress the support group with the assistance of Angela and her team.
Nick concluded: "Knowing as much as possible about heart failure helped me manage my condition. I think that acceptance is the first step to recovery. People become a victim of heart failure if they are in denial. So by encouraging conversation about the issue will help people manage heart failure."
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For further information please contact Sally Davies at the PCT on 01282 644 720 or email sally.davies2@eastlancspct.nhs.uk, or Halima Khatun at Bell Pottinger North on 01625 506 426 or by e-mail at: hkhatun@bellpottingernorth.co.uk.
