Congestive heart failure sounds like a form of heart attack, but in reality it is more of a gradual deterioration in the ability of the heart to pump blood. The body's organs need the oxygen found in blood, and if the heart is unable to get that oxygen to the organs, a variety of problems can result.
Identification
Congestive heart failure is the sustained inability of the heart to deliver oxygen to the organs of the body when they need it, usually because the heart is unable to keep up with the body's oxygen needs.
Congestive heart failure is usually caused by conditions that weaken the heart muscles, such as a heart attack; conditions that stiffen the heart muscles and prevent them from being able to pump blood properly, such as persistent high blood pressure; or conditions that raise the oxygen requirements to the organs in the body, such as an over-active thyroid.
Effects
Congestive heart failure can lead to a sequence of other health issues that can all become life threatening. If the heart is unable to get the proper amount of oxygen to the kidneys, this can cause the body to retain too much fluid because the kidneys are no longer able to purge all of the excess fluid in the system. This fluid can accumulate in the lungs and make breathing extremely difficult.
This domino effect is possible anywhere in the body because any internal organ will begin to fail if it is deprived of the oxygen it needs to carry out its natural functions.
Types
Congestive heart failure can be cause by many conditions that affect the heart or increase the body's need for oxygen. Some of the more common causes of congestive heart failure are persistent high blood pressure; a previous heart attack that weakens the heart muscles; diabetes; genetic conditions that may have caused damage to the heart at birth, such as defective heart valves, an enlarged heart or weakened heart muscles; and lung conditions that make the gathering of oxygen for the body more difficult.
Considerations
Some of the causes of congestive heart failure are difficult for a person to control, such as birth defects or the development of other genetic conditions. However, some causes of congestive heart failure can be influenced and potentially controlled by the patient.These include smoking tobacco, alcohol consumption, stress and obesity.
Prevention/Solution
Treating congestive heart failure usually requires treating the condition that is causing the heart to struggle with pumping the necessary oxygen to the organs of the body. Doctors traditionally use a regiment of medications and rest to help treat the underlying causes of congestive heart failure, and in many cases the patients are able to resume a limited lifestyle that includes accommodations for the inadequacies of the heart. The heart is a muscle; if it is allowed proper recovery time, it can repair itself in many cases. However, for the more extreme cases where the heart is unable to repair itself, a heart transplant may be necessary.
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