Diseases that weaken the heart muscle,
Diseases that cause stiffening of muscles of the heart
The symptoms of Congestive heart failure
The symptoms depend on two factors. The first is based on the side of the heart, right or left, that is involved. The second factor is based on the type of failure, either systolic or diastolic. Symptoms and presentation may be indistinguishable making diagnosis impossible based on symptoms.
If the left side of your heart is not working properly (left heart failure), blood and fluid back up into the lungs. You will feel short of breath, very tired, and have a cough (especially at night). In some cases, patients may begin to cough up pink, blood-streaked sputum.
Fatigue or general weakness
Swelling of the legs (usually just the feet or ankles)
Rapid weight gain (1 or 2 pounds a day for 3 days in a row)
Chronic cough
The causes of Congestive heart failure
Heart failure often develops after other conditions have damaged or weakened heart. Over time, the heart can no longer keep pace with the normal demands placed on it. The ventricles may become stiff and not fill properly between beats. In addition, the heart muscle can weaken, and the ventricles stretch (dilation) to the point that the heart can not pump blood efficiently throughout the body.
The most common cause of heart failure is left ventricular dysfunction. Normally, each time the heart "beats", the left ventricle contracts and ejects about 60% of the blood in the room in the main artery (aorta). The percentage of blood pumped by the left ventricle with each contraction is called the ejection fraction.
Treatment of Congestive heart failure
If you have heart failure, your doctor will monitor you closely. This means that you have followed the appointments at least every 3 to 6 months, trying to understand the underlying causes and treat it, and periodic testing of cardiac function. For example, an ultrasound of the heart called an echo cardiogram, will be carried out once in a while to give an estimate of how the heart is pumping blood with each stroke or beat.
When deciding how to treat heart failure, the most important question is what caused the heart failure, first and reverse, if possible. If the problem is a bad valve, surgery is usually required to replace or repair the valve. If the problem is electrical, a pacemaker may be needed to regulate heartbeat, or other treatments to slow the heart rate. If the problem is with clogged arteries, is an angioplasty or bypass surgery is usually attempted.
