Congestive heart failure

Table of Contents

Introduction

Congestive heart failure or heart failure is a condition in which the heart loses the ability to pump a sufficient amount of blood to all parts of the body. Heart failure or Congestive heart failure may involve left ventricle or right ventricle or both . It may be acute or chronic .

congestive heart failure results due to the accumulation of fluid in the lungs and other tissue .

Acute heart failure

Acute heart failure refers to sudden or rapid signs and symptoms of abnormal heart failure. Its signs and symptoms are more severe initially.

However, the symptoms last for a very short time and the condition improves rapidly.

Chronic heart failure

Chronic heart failure is Congestive heart failure that is characterized by the symptoms that appear slowly over a period of time and becomes worst with time.

It may be compensated or decompensated

    • Compensated heart failure

Compensated heart failure is heart failure with adequate cardiac output.

    • Decompensated heart failure

decompensated heart failure is heart failure with inadequate cardiac output.

Causes of heart failure

Common causes of heart failure are :

  • Coronary artery disease
  • Defective heart disease
  • Arrhythmia
  • cardiac muscle disease such as cardiomyopathy
  • Hypertension
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Diabetes
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Anemia
  • Lung disorder

congestive heart failure symptoms

Acute heart failure

  • Fatigue and weakness
  • Rapid and irregular heartbeat
  • Shortness of breathing
  • Fluid retention and weight gain
  • loss of appetite
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • cough
  • Chest pain

Chronic heart failure

  • pulmonary edema
  • shortness of breath
  • cough with pink, foamy mucus
  • heart palpitation

heart failure symptoms in women

  • Fatigue and weakness
  • Shortness of breathing
  • Fluid retention and weight gain
  • heart palpitation

Type of Congestive heart failure

Systolic heart failure

Systolic heart failure is heart failure due to decrease ability of the heart to contract. It may involve left ventricle or right ventricle or both. The ejection fraction decreases to about 20 %. The amount of blood pumped to the body and to the lungs is decreased.

Diastolic heart failure

Diastolic heart failure is heart failure that occurs when the ventricles cannot relax properly due to the stiffening of cardiac muscle. So there is a reduction in ventricular filling and cardiac output.

Right Sided heart failure

Right-sided heart failure occurs due to the loss of pumping action of the right side of the heart. because of the loss of pumping action of the right ventricle. It causes edema in feet, ankles, legs, and abdomen.

Left Sided heart failure

Left Sided heart failure is due to the loss of pumping action of the left side of the heart. It causes congestion of the lungs.

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