Don’t let heart failure define your life. With OSF Healthcare Cardiovascular Institute and its network of clinics, empower yourself with the expertise, knowledge and tools you need to take control of your heart health. Discover more about our heart failure services today.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) happens when your heart can’t pump enough blood for the rest of your body.
Your heart may be weak or unable to fill up with enough blood. CHF usually results from another condition, such as arrhythmia or coronary artery disease. Over time, heart failure can damage your kidneys or liver because they don’t receive enough blood and oxygen.
See a cardiologist (heart doctor) regularly for help to manage your condition. Your primary care provider may refer you to a heart failure specialist in:
Depending on your needs and preferences, your cardiologist may recommend:
If you have severe heart failure, your doctor might recommend an evaluation for a heart transplant at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. If you qualify for a transplant, your care team will place your name on the wait list for a donor heart.
Your doctor will tell you what heart failure symptoms you need to seek emergency medical attention for. If a doctor admits you to the hospital, you may receive transitional care and follow-up services to reduce the likelihood you’ll need to come back. Transitional care provides support and resources as you prepare to go home. During follow-up appointments and phone calls, your care team checks your health, explains how to take care of yourself and answers your questions.
Early detection of worsening heart failure improves your outcome. But heart failure often gets worse before you notice a change in symptoms. So, you may benefit from the CardioMEMS monitoring system, available at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. A doctor places this tiny device in a pulmonary (lung) artery, where it detects increasing blood pressure — an early sign of worsening heart failure. The technology electronically sends the data to your care team without you having to leave home. Then, they reach out to recommend treatment to keep you out of the hospital.
Ask your primary care doctor to refer you to an OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute cardiologist for heart failure treatment. Need a primary care provider? Browse our directory.