Congestive heart failure weakens your heart and can cause a lack of oxygen in organs that need it. At Cardiac PET Partners we heart blood flow testing with positron emission tomography (PET) scans to check how well your heart is working. Learn more about congestive heart failure and its risks by scheduling an appointment at Cardiac PET Partners. Call the office or book online today.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic heart condition that worsens over time. As it progresses, the strength of your heart muscle declines. Soon, your heart struggles to pump your blood efficiently.
With CHF, your heart may struggle to pump blood well enough to deliver oxygen to vital organs like your liver and kidneys. Fluids can build up in them as a result, which can cause life-threatening complications.
You should visit a physician at the first sign of CHF. They may refer you to Cardiac PET Partners for detailed heart function testing so they can diagnose or monitor the condition’s progression. They can also use tests to verify that a treatment for congestive heart failure is working.
There are several possible symptoms of congestive heart failure that could lead you to question your health. Early stages of CHF involve no symptoms, and when symptoms first set in, they tend to be very mild or subtle.
Symptoms get worse as the condition progresses, especially without treatment. Your CHF symptoms might include:
If your CHF progresses to a severe stage, you might also experience fainting, chest pain, or a bluish tone to your skin. You should seek treatment as soon as you notice any new symptoms for the best possible outcome.
Cardiac PET Partners offers testing services to evaluate the health and function of your heart. These tests can lead to a diagnosis or help your provider track your heart’s health over time with treatment.
When you arrive for viability testing at Cardiac PET Partners, you report all of the medications you’re taking after a brief overview of your medical history. You lie down on a scanning table as you prepare for the positron emission tomography (PET) scan.
Throughout the scan, your provider tracks your heart activity with padded electrodes placed on your chest.
A radioactive drug known as a radiopharmaceutical enters your system through an intravenous (IV) catheter and allows the PET scan to produce clear images of your heart.
Schedule an appointment at Cardiac PET Partners for congestive heart failure testing by calling the office or booking online today.