CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE - WatsonsHealth

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE

Overview & Facts

Congestive heart failure is a long term progressive medical condition that affects the function of your heart muscles. In this condition, fluid builds up in the heart, further causing it to pump inefficiently.

Having heart failure can be life-threatening. This decrease in cardiac output, the amount of blood that the heart pumps, is not adequate to circulate the blood returning to the heart from the body and lungs, causing fluid to leak from capillary blood vessels. This leads to the symptoms that may include shortness of breath, weakness, and swelling.

Types & Symptoms

Types

There are two types of CHF; the first one is left-sided. It is the most common type of CHF because the heart doesn’t pump blood properly throughout the body causing shortness of breathing.

On the other hand, right-sided CHF happens when the right ventricle is not able to pump blood to your lungs. As a result, blood accumulates in your blood vessels, which can cause edema and fluid retention in your legs, abdomen, and other major organs.

 

Symptoms

Heart failure may have the following symptoms:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Fatigue
  • Swelling of the legs
  • Fast or irregular heartbeat
  • Swelling of your abdomen (ascites)
  • Lack of appetite
  • Nausea
  • Chest pain

Diagnosis & Medications

DIAGNOSIS

Your doctor will first take a medical history and do a physical exam.

The following tests may be requested:

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

 

MEDICATIONS/TREATMENT

How is it treated?

Your doctor may prescribe the following treatments:

  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors)
  • Vasodilators
  • Diuretics or water pills
  • Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  • Beta-blockers

Related Articles

TETRALOGY OF FALLOT

Overview and FactsTypes and SymptomsDiagnosis & MedicationsOverview and Facts Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart defect that affects the [...]

TRICHINOSIS

Overview and FactsTypes and SymptomsDiagnosis & MedicationsOverview and Facts Trichinosis, also known as trichinellosis, is a parasitic infection caused by [...]

TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA

Overview and FactsTypes and SymptomsDiagnosis & MedicationsOverview and Facts Trigeminal neuralgia is a neurological condition characterized by severe facial pain. [...]