Congestive Heart Failure
The words "heart failure" sound alarming, but
they do not mean that your heart has suddenly
stopped working. Instead, heart failure means
your heart is not pumping as well as it should
to deliver oxygen-rich blood to your body's
cells.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) happens when the
heart's weak pumping action causes a buildup of
fluid called congestion in your lungs and other
body tissues.
CHF usually develops slowly. You may go for
years without symptoms, and the symptoms tend to
get worse with time. This slow onset and
progression of CHF is caused by your heart's own
efforts to deal with its gradual weakening. Your
heart tries to make up for this weakening by
enlarging and by forcing itself to pump faster
to move more blood through your body.
Who is at risk for developing CHF, and what are
its causes?
According to the American Heart Association,
people 40 and older have a 1 in 5 chance of
developing CHF in their lifetime. Nearly 5
million people in the United States—mostly older
adults—already have CHF, and the number of
people with CHF keeps rising. About 550,000
people develop CHF each year. This is because
people are living longer and surviving heart
attacks and other medical conditions that put
them at risk for CHF. People who have other
types of heart and vessel disease are also at
risk for CHF.
Risk factors for CHF include
-
heart attacks
-
Coronary artery
disease
-
High blood pressure
(hypertension)
-
Irregular heartbeat
(arrhythmia)
-
Heart valve disease
(especially of the aortic and mitral valves)
-
Cardiomyopathy
(disease of the heart muscle)
-
Congenital heart
defects
(defects you are born with)
-
Alcohol and drug abuse
If the left side of your heart is not working
properly (left-sided heart failure), blood and
fluid back up into your lungs. You will feel
short of breath, be very tired, and have a cough
(especially at night). In some cases, patients
may begin to cough up pinkish, blood-tinged
sputum.
If the right side of your heart is not working
properly (right-sided heart failure), the slowed
blood flow causes a buildup of fluid in your
veins. Your feet, legs, and ankles will begin to
swell. This swelling is called edema. Sometimes
edema spreads to the lungs, liver, and stomach.
Because of the fluid buildup, you may need to go
to the bathroom more often, especially at night.
Fluid buildup is also hard on your kidneys. It
affects their ability to dispose of salt
(sodium) and water, which can lead to kidney
failure. Once CHF is treated, the kidneys'
function usually returns to normal.
As heart failure progresses, your heart becomes
weaker and symptoms begin. In addition to those
listed above, here are some other symptoms of
CHF:
-
You have trouble breathing or lying flat because
you feel short of breath.
-
You feel tired, weak, and are unable to exercise
or perform physical activities.
-
You have weight gain from excess fluid.
-
You feel chest pain.
-
You do not feel like eating, or you feel like
you have indigestion.
-
Your neck veins are swollen.
-
Your skin is cold and sweaty.
-
Your pulse is fast or irregular.
-
You feel restless, confused, and find that your
attention span and memory are not as good as
they were.
