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Symptoms, Causes and Treatments of Congestive Heart Failure

Heart failure occurs when, for some reason, the heart is unable to pump enough oxygen-rich blood through the body. This reduced blood supply decreases the function of other organs and results in blood "backing up" in the veins as the heart pumps out less blood than is coming in. This back up causes congestion in the blood vessels, resulting in shortness of breath and swelling (edema).

The Causes of Congestive Heart Failure

The most common causes of congestive heart failure (CHF) are hypertension and coronary artery disease. These conditions strain the heart. At first, the heart grows larger to compensate for these conditions, but eventually, it is unable to keep up and begins to weaken, resulting in congestive heart failure.

Other causes of increased strain on the heart include:

previous heart attacks that have already weakened the heart
cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle
valvular heart disease, which affects the heart's ability to pump blood
arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) that put additional stress on the heart
congenital defects of the heart (those present at birth)
scar tissue or tumors in the heart that interfere with the heart's ability to pump blood
infections that damage cardiovascular tissue
lung disease, which decreases oxygen delivered to the heart.

Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure

The symptoms of congestive heart failure depend on which side of the heart is not working.
Progression of congestive heart failure

Right Side: One of the most common symptoms of right-sided CHF is edema, especially in the legs and ankles, though it can happen anywhere in the body. When the heart is unable to effectively pump blood to the lungs, the blood backs up in the veins resulting in edema.

Left Side: If the blood backs up in the lungs as a result of left-sided congestive heart failure, the gas exchange in the lungs decreases. This results in a decreased amount of oxygen delivered to all of the body's organs. The most common symptom of blood backing up in the lungs is shortness of breath. Other people may cough up phlegm with a pink tinge to it.

The decreased amount of oxygen-rich blood to the other organs of the body may cause a variety of other symptoms, including:

fatigue
weakness
weight gain
decreased urine production
the need to urinate at night
nausea
difficulty sleeping
decreased cognitive abilities.

Treating Congestive Heart Failure

Treatment for CHF is dependent on the severity of the condition. For patients with mild cases of congestive heart failure, the doctor may recommend certain lifestyle changes, such as:

quitting smoking
exercising
resting
limiting sodium intake.

For patients with severe cases of congestive heart failure, the doctor may prescribe medications to prevent any further deterioration of heart function and to relieve symptoms. Some of the medications used for congestive heart failure include:

ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors
angiotensin II receptor blockers
beta blockers
calcium channel blockers
diuretics
inotropics
vasodilators.

Resources

American Heart Association. (2005). Congestive heart failure.

Grossman, S. (updated 2005). Congestive heart failure
and pulmonary edema.

HealthCommunities.com, Inc. (updated 2005). Congestive heart failure.

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (updated 2004). Congestive heart failure.

National Library of Medicine. (updated 2004). Heart failure. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.

Texas Heart Institute. (updated 2004). Congestive heart failure.

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