Benefits Of Stair Lift Chairs For CHF Patients
Posted on: 6 January 2023
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If you have early-stage congestive heart failure (CHF), you may not have any symptoms or activity limitations. If your CHF progresses, however, your self-care needs may change, necessitating home health care or mobility aids such as stair lifts to help you move around your home as comfortably and safely as possible. Here are some benefits a stair lift chair can provide if you have symptomatic congestive heart failure.
Reduces Risk For Exercise Induced Breathing Problems
Congestive heart failure often causes exercise intolerance and subsequent shortness of breath. Many people with CHF are unable to walk up and down their stairs without struggling for air. Not only does this cause hyperventilation, but it can also cause severe anxiety and raise the risk of falls.
Stair lifts safely transport you up and down your stairs so that you do not have to exert yourself and tire yourself out. Conserving energy is very important to congestive heart failure patients because exerting themselves may increase their need for supplemental oxygen in order to breathe properly.
Help With Leg Edema
A common symptom of congestive heart failure is ankle edema. This is the result of fluid retention which occurs when your heart is unable to properly pump blood throughout your body, causing blood and fluid to pool in your legs, ankles, and feet.
People with severe edema of the lower extremities may be unable to wear the right-sized shoes and consequently will wear shoes that are too big for them or ill-fitting slippers. This can cause problems going up and down stairs and may lead to a serious fall. In addition, leg edema can also cause significant pain and limited mobility in people who have congestive heart failure.
Edema, ill-fitting footwear, and leg pain all increase the risk of falling down the stairs; however, stair lifts reduce this risk. It also helps CHF patients retain some of their independence and confidence.
Many people with congestive heart failure are unable to utilize the upstairs living space in their homes because they cannot navigate the stairs. This often results in having to sleep in a recliner in the living room or transforming a spare room on the main floor into a bedroom. Some CHF patients feel the need to move to a ranch-style home, an apartment with elevator access, or an assisted living community, where they can avoid stair climbing.
If you have congestive heart failure and are reluctant or unable to use your stairs, consider the above benefits of stair lift chairs. Once the stair lift technician demonstrates the safety features and shows you how to use it, you will enjoy the added independence and confidence that it provides.
Contact a professional for more information about stair lift chairs.