Bending at waist

[collector]

I am a 43 year old male, diagnosed with chf last fall.  At this time I am taking 10 mg Altace once a day, 25 mg coreg twice a day and aldactone 25 mg once a day. One thing I enjoy is working around by house. i.e. yard work planting flowers, cutting grass digging in the garden, minor home improvements.

This is my question. Is it common for chf patients to get short of breath and tired when they bend at the waist while working? If it is common, why?

Thank you for your answer and for this board. It is a great service.

[Cleveland Clinic]

collector,

thanks for the post.

I dont have a great explanation for you other then being related to the process of doing work itself. Kneeling can increase the amount of blood to the heart, but this is transient and I can honestly say I've never heard the complaint specifically about bending at the waist. Some patients with CHF have symptoms while lying down at night when fluid redistributes back into their circulatory system overnight which is known as paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea.

sorry not to be more of a help

good luck

[fanta]

Hello,I too have that symtom of breathlessness when bending at the waist, so you are not alone.  Other people who have CHF have told me that they have that too. It is, a very uncomfortable feeling.

[Neon]

Can I ask (this is important as I'm trying to compile information which may help me move closer to the possible cause of these annoying, harmless beats): if you breathe mostly through your mouth, can you post 'MOUTH', or if through the nose, post 'NOSE'. If you are always struggling for air (as an annoying habit), post 'AIR HUNGER'.

Thanks.

I'll get back to you.

[2 Sensitive]

What is CHF?I too get s.o.b.while bending over sometimes in the morning.I once thought I was having an asthma attack when it took five minutes or so to catch my breath after one episode.So maybe I have CHF,so what is that?

[fanta]

Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure (CHF), or heart failure, is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to the body's other organs. This can result from
narrowed arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle — coronary artery disease.
past heart attack, or myocardial infarction, with scar tissue that interferes with the heart muscle's normal work.
high blood pressure.
heart valve disease due to past rheumatic fever or other causes.
primary disease of the heart muscle itself, called cardiomyopathy.
heart defects present at birth — congenital heart defects.
infection of the heart valves and/or heart muscle itself — endocarditis and/or myocarditis.
The "failing" heart keeps working but not as efficiently as it should. People with heart failure can't exert themselves because they become short of breath and tired.

As blood flow out of the heart slows, blood returning to the heart through the veins backs up, causing congestion in the tissues. Often swelling (edema) results. Most often there's swelling in the legs and ankles, but it can happen in other parts of the body, too. Sometimes fluid collects in the lungs and interferes with breathing, causing shortness of breath, especially when a person is lying down.

Heart failure also affects the kidneys' ability to dispose of sodium and water
This from the American Heart Association web site.
Hope this is of some help.