Managing congestive heart failure can be difficult for many people. That’s why the support provided by a clinic at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay is valued by patients and their families.
The Comprehensive Heart Failure Clinic at Aurora BayCare helps those diagnosed with congestive heart failure manage their disease and lower the risk of further complications.
Congestive heart failure is a condition in which the heart no longer effectively pumps blood through the body. That results in fluid buildup in the body and lungs, which can lead to shortness of breath.
The condition affects about 6.2 million adults in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Symptoms of congestive heart failure include swelling in the legs, ankles and feet, and progressive shortness of breath that eventually includes shortness of breath at rest or while lying down. Other symptoms include a dry, nonproductive cough that often is mistaken for bronchitis or pneumonia.
Aurora BayCare’s Comprehensive Heart Failure Clinic provides support for patients and families to help them better manage the disease. That includes:
- Arranging home care and monitoring
- Helping understand medications
- Providing proper tools for self-care
- Reviewing weight, blood pressure and other monitoring device data, and more
The clinic is multidisciplinary, consisting of in-patient care providers and out-patient specialists. These include cardiologists, cardiac rehab specialists, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, social workers and more.