What are Some Causes and Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure is a highly common condition that affects nearly 10 million Indian every year. It is one of the leading causes of hospitalization, especially in older people. However, most people take congestive heart failure literally, when it’s not.

What is Congestive Heart Failure?

Congestive heart failure is a chronic and progressive condition that affects the pumping power of the heart muscles.

It represents a stage of heart failure in which fluids build around the heart muscles, making it difficult to pump blood.

Let’s see what exactly happens in congestive heart failure

The heart is made of four chambers, the upper half has two atria, and lower half has two ventricles. The function of ventricles is to pump blood to the body, and atria receive the blood from the body and circulate it back from the rest of the body. Congestive heart failure develops when the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to your body resulting in blood and other fluids backing up inside the body. It can be a life-threatening condition, and failure to provide medical assistance can even cause death.

Congestive heart failure may or may not show symptoms, depending on the stage of the condition. Symptoms can also be temporary or permanent and can come and go. The most common ones are:

Congestion in the Lungs

Fluid can back up into the lungs which can cause difficulty in breathing and can induce a hazing or a dry cough.

Weakness, Dizziness and Fatigue

As soon as the pumping action of the heart is reduced, there is less blood sent to the organs which can make the patient feel weak and tired. Less blood to the brain can cause extreme dizziness and can further complicate the condition.

Water and Fluid Retention

If the pumping action of the heart is affected, it circulates less blood to the kidneys, resulting in swollen legs and abdomen.

What are the causes?

Congestive heart disease can occur because of conditions that can directly affect your cardiovascular system. It is important to get complete heart checkups regularly, especially if you are above 30 years of age. Complete heart check-up will highlight any withstanding problems and doctors will be in a better position to treat the condition.

Hypertension

It is higher than normal blood pressure, it can cause congestive heart failure. Hypertension occurs when blood vessels become still, thereby making it harder to pass blood through them.

Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary arteries supply blood to the heart. Excess of cholesterol and other fatty substances can block there arteries. Narrow coronary arteries are prone to damage as they can result the blood flow to the heart and sudden blockage of coronary arteries is one of the reasons for heart attack.