Heart Failure -causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Congestive heart failure (CHF), congestive cardiac failure (CCF) or just heart failure, is a condition that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the heart to fill with blood or pump a sufficient amount of blood through the body. It is not to be confused with "cessation of heartbeat", which is known as asystole, or with cardiac arrest, which is the cessation of normal cardiac function with subsequent hemodynamic collapse leading to death.[citation needed] Because not all patients have volume overload at the time of initial or subsequent evaluation, the term "heart failure" (ICD-9 428.9) is preferred over the older term "congestive heart failure".

What causes heart failure

Heart failure has many different causes. Sometimes the exact cause can't be found. The most common causes of heart failure are listed below:

Coronary artery disease (narrowing of the blood vessels to the heart)

Problems with the heart muscle itself (known as cardiomyopathy)

High blood pressure (also known as hypertension)

Any disorder that directly affects the heart can lead to heart failure, as can some disorders that indirectly affect the heart. Some disorders cause heart failure quickly; others do so only after many years. Some disorders cause systolic dysfunction, others cause diastolic dysfunction, and some disorders, such as high blood pressure and some heart valve disorders, can cause both types of dysfunction.

Symptoms of Heart Failure

Many symptoms of heart failure result from the congestion that develops as fluid backs up into the lungs and leaks into the tissues. Other symptoms result from inadequate delivery of oxygen-rich blood to the body's tissues. Since heart failure can progress rapidly, it is essential to consult a doctor immediately if any of the following symptoms are detected.

Heart failure on the left

Heart failure on the left side can also make you breathless. This can happen at any time but often happens when you are active or laying in bed. During the night you may feel the need to sit up in bed or even to get some fresh air.

Blood "backs up" in the pulmonary veins (the vessels that return blood from the lungs to the heart) because the heart can't keep up with the supply. This causes fluid to leak into the lungs.

To make matters worse, any or several of these conditions may coexist along with congestive heart failure.

Heart Failure Treatment

If you have heart failure, your doctor will monitor you closely. This means having follow up appointments at least every 3 to 6 months, figuring out any underlying cause and treating it, and periodic testing of your heart function. For example, an ultrasound of your heart, called an echocardiogram, will be done once in awhile to give an estimate of how well your heart is pumping blood with each stroke or beat.

Lifestyle Changes

These modifications often improve or control some of the factors contributing to heart failure. For example, people with heart failure will see an improvement if they:

Modify daily activities and get enough rest to avoid stressing the heart

Eat a heart-healthy diet that is low in sodium and fat

Don't smoke and avoid exposure to second-hand smoke

Angiotensin II (A-II) receptor blockers (ARBs). These drugs, which include losartan (Cozaar) and valsartan (Diovan), have many of the beneficial effects of ACE inhibitors, but they don't cause a persistent cough. They may be an alternative for people who can't tolerate ACE inhibitors.