About Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
The signs of congestive heart failure
(CHF) can be subtle—swelling
of the ankles, difficulty breathing, and fatigue—but
CHF can be fatal if left unchecked. Heart failure is a major
cause of disability and death for people over the age of
65. It results in more hospital admissions than any other
diagnosis for seniors. Although deaths from CHF are declining,
the number of heart failure cases appears to be rising as
the general population grows older.
Read on for more information, or click on a topic in the
list:
What is
congestive heart failure?
What are the symptoms?
What are the causes?
How is it diagnosed?
What is
congestive heart failure?
CHF is a condition that may occur suddenly or develop gradually.
It is a medical condition in which the heart is unable to
pump enough blood throughout the body. With CHF, the heart
does not work as well as it should, causing the flow of blood
from the heart to slow, which causes blood returning to the
heart to back up. The slowed blood causes a buildup of fluid,
called congestion, in the body.
The heart has four chambers. Two chambers called ventricles
collect blood from the other chambers before pumping it out
of the heart. CHF may involve the right, left, or both sides
of the heart. The most common form of heart failure occurs
in the left ventricle, the chamber that pumps blood to the
body. Left ventricular heart failure is a condition in which
the muscles of the left side of the heart have become weakened
because of a heart attack or clogged arteries. This type
of heart failure usually causes breathing difficulties.
What are the symptoms?
The most common symptoms of CHF are difficulty breathing
and swollen legs or ankles, but there are other symptoms,
too. Early diagnosis and treatment provides the best chance
for a patient to make a full recovery, so it is important
to know the symptoms of CHF:
- Shortness of breath, especially when lying down or during
mild activity
- Swelling of the abdomen, feet, and ankles
- Weight gain
- Feeling tired, weak, dizzy, or faint
- Irregular/rapid heart beat or pulse
- Coughing and wheezing, especially at night
- Kidney problems, which can lead to retention of fluid
- Difficulty concentrating or decreased alertness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Muscle wasting, paleness, and cold extremities in advanced
disease
If you have these any of symptoms, talk with your doctor
promptly. Early diagnosis increases the chances of successfully
treating mild to moderate cases of CHF.
Typically, your body tries to make up for the heart not
working properly by retaining salt and water, speeding up
the heart rate, or increasing the size of the heart. These
internal symptoms are signs that a doctor will look for.
What are the causes?
Heart failure has many different causes, and in some cases,
the exact cause is difficult to pinpoint. Sometimes, people
who had a heart attack in the past develop CHF because of
a damaged heart. The most common causes of heart failure
are:
- Narrowing of the blood vessels to the heart (coronary
artery disease)
- Heart attack (acute myocardial infarction)
- Problems with the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy)
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Problems with the heart valves
- Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
- Toxic substances, such as alcohol abuse
- Problems with the heart since birth (congenital heart
disease)
How is it diagnosed?
To diagnose CHF, a doctor will examine you using a stethoscope.
The doctor listens for the crackling sounds of fluid in the
lungs, the sound of faulty valves in the heart, called a
heart murmur, or the presence of a rapid heartbeat. By tapping
on your chest, a physician can tell if fluid has built up
in your chest. Additionally, you may receive a chest x-ray
to indicate whether the heart is enlarged and whether fluid
is present in and around the lungs.
More Information
What treatments should you expect for CHF? See Quality
Care for Congestive Heart Failure
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