congestive-heart-failure : Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

What is Congestive Heart Failure?

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic progressive condition that affects the pumping power of your heart muscles. While often referred to simply as “heart failure,” CHF specifically refers to the stage in which fluid builds up around the heart and causes it to pump inefficiently. You have four heart chambers. The upper half of your heart has two atria, and the lower half of your heart has two ventricles. The ventricles pump blood to your body’s organs and tissues, and the atria receive blood from your body as it circulates back from the rest of your body.

What causes Congestive Heart Failure?

CHF may result from other health conditions that directly affect your cardiovascular system. This is why it’s important to get annual checkups to lower your risk for heart health problems, including high blood pressure (hypertension), coronary artery disease, and valve conditions.

• Hypertension
• Coronary artery disease
• Valve conditions
• Other conditions:- While heart-related diseases can lead to CHF, there are other seemingly unrelated conditions that may increase your risk, too. These include diabetes, thyroid disease, and obesity. Severe infections and allergic reactions may also contribute to CHF.

What are the symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure?

Heart failure signs and symptoms may include:

• Shortness of breath (dyspnea) when you exert yourself or when you lie down
• Fatigue and weakness
• Swelling (edema) in your legs, ankles and feet
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Reduced ability to exercise
• Persistent cough or wheezing with white or pink blood-tinged phlegm
• Increased need to urinate at night
• Swelling of your abdomen (ascites)
• Very rapid weight gain from fluid retention
• Lack of appetite and nausea
• Difficulty concentrating or decreased alertness
• Sudden, severe shortness of breath and coughing up pink, foamy mucus
• Chest pain if your heart failure is caused by a heart attack

How is Congestive Heart Failure diagnosed?

The doctor may examine the veins in your neck and check for fluid buildup in your abdomen and legs. After the physical exam, your doctor may also order some of these tests:

• Blood tests
• Chest X-ray
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Echocardiogram
• Stress test
• Cardiac computerized tomography (CT) scan
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Coronary angiogram
• Myocardial biopsy

How is Congestive Heart Failure treated?

 You and your doctor may consider different treatments depending on your overall health and how far your condition has progressed.

Congestive heart failure drugs:- There are several medications that can be used to treat CHF, including:

• Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors(ACE inhibitors)
• Beta-blockers
• Diuretics reduce your body’s fluid content. CHF can cause your body to retain more fluid than it should. Your doctor may recommend:-
• Thiazide diuretics
• Loop diuretics
• Potassium-sparingdiuretics

Surgeries:- If medications aren’t effective on their own, more invasive procedures may be required. Angioplasty, a procedure to open up blocked arteries, is one option. Your cardiologist may also consider heart valve repair surgery to help your valves open and close properly.