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Question:
Does edema mean the end stages of CHF?
My mother, 71 yrs old, was diagnosed with pulmonary edema. She is on oxygen. We are going tomorrow to see a specialist about her low hemoglobin. She has doubled her diuretics to get the fluid out of her lungs. She had a double bypass 14 years ago. Is edema the end stages of CHF? What can she do to prolong her life? Will she be on oxygen the rest of her life?
submitted by Kathy from Livingston, Texas on 3/9/10
Answer:
by Texas Heart Institute cardiologist, J. Alberto Lopez, MD
Pulmonary edema is one of the problems of heart failure and is due to accumulation of water (edema) in the lung, making the oxygenation of blood more difficult. That is not the end stage of heart failure, but a sign of decompensation that most times can be resolved if it is the result of a reversible problem, like too much salt, new blockages or anemia.
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Updated March 2010
