Disease Insights: congestive-heart-failure
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Questions Covered:
- what is congestive heart failure?
- causes of congestive heart failure?
- What are the usual symptoms of congestive heart failure?
- What are the potential risk factors associated with congestive heart failure?
- How do doctors usually figure out if someone has congestive heart failure, diagnosis?
- What are the ways to prevent congestive heart failure?
- What are the possible complications that could arise from congestive heart failure?
Answers:
Question: what is congestive heart failure?
Heart failure occurs when your heart cannot pump enough blood to support your body functions. Seek help immediately if you're experiencing symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, or swelling.
Heart failure is characterized by the heart's inability to pump an adequate supply of blood to the body. Without sufficient blood flow, all major body functions are disrupted. Heart failure is a condition or a collection of symptoms that weaken or stiffen your heart.
In some people with heart failure, the heart has difficulty pumping enough blood to support other organs in the body. Other people may have a hardening and stiffening of the heart muscle itself, which blocks or reduces blood flow to the heart.
Heart failure can affect the right or left side of your heart or both at the same time. It can be either an acute (short-term) or chronic (ongoing) condition.
About 6.2 million Americans
have heart failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most cases are diagnosed in men. However, women are more likely to die from heart failure when the condition goes untreated.
Heart failure is a serious medical condition that requires treatment. Early treatment increases your chances of long-term recovery with fewer complications. Call your doctor right away if you're having any symptoms of heart failure.
Question: causes of congestive heart failure?
Heart failure is most often related to another condition. The most common cause of heart failure is coronary artery disease (CAD), a disorder that causes narrowing of the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. Other conditions that may increase your risk of developing heart failure include:
cardiomyopathy, a disorder of the heart muscle that causes the heart to become weak
congenital heart disease
heart attack
heart valve disease
certain types of arrhythmias, or irregular heart rhythms
high blood pressure
emphysema, a disease of the lung
untreated sleep apnea
diabetes
an overactive or underactive thyroid
HIV
severe forms of anemia
certain cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy
substance misuse disorder
Question: What are the usual symptoms of congestive heart failure?
The symptoms of heart failure may include:
fatigue
sudden weight gain
a loss of appetite
persistent coughing
irregular heart rate
heart palpitations
abdominal swelling
shortness of breath
exercise intolerance
leg and ankle swelling or abdomen
sleeping on extra pillows
getting short of breath while lying down
protruding neck veins
Question: What are the potential risk factors associated with congestive heart failure?
Heart failure can happen to anyone. However, certain factors may increase your risk of developing this condition.
There is a higher incidence of heart failure in men compared with women, though the prevalence is about the same for all sexes.
People with diseases that damage the heart are also at an increased risk. These conditions include:
hypertension
sleep apnea
diabetes
coronary artery disease
valve disease
anemia
hyperthyroidism
hypothyroidism
emphysema
Certain behaviors can also increase your risk of developing heart failure, including:
smoking
eating foods that are high in fat or cholesterol
not getting enough exercise
having overweight or obesity
Question: How do doctors usually figure out if someone has congestive heart failure, diagnosis?
Physical exam
Your doctor may perform a physical exam to check for signs of heart failure. For instance, leg swelling, irregular heart rate, and bulging neck veins may lead your doctor to diagnose heart failure.
Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram is the most effective way to diagnose heart failure. It uses sound waves to create detailed pictures of your heart, which help your doctor evaluate the damage to your heart, the squeezing and relaxing function and determine the underlying causes of your condition.
Your doctor may use an echocardiogram along with other tests.
Other tests
chest X-ray This test can provide images of the heart and the surrounding organs.
heart MRI An MRI produces images of the heart without the use of radiation.
nuclear scan A very small dose of radioactive material is injected into your body to create images of the chambers of your heart.
catheterization or coronary angiogram In this type of X-ray exam, the doctor inserts a catheter into your blood vessel, usually in the groin or arm. They then guide it into the heart. This test can show how much blood is currently flowing through the heart.
stress exam During a stress exam, an EKG machine monitors your heart function while you run on a treadmill or perform another type of exercise.
Holter monitoring Electrode patches are placed on your chest and attached to a small machine called a Holter monitor for this test. The machine records the electrical activity of your heart for at least 24 to 48 hours.
BNP blood test A BNP test is done by drawing blood from a vein in your arm. This test can detect a rise in B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) hormone, which can be an indication of heart failure.
Question: What are the ways to prevent congestive heart failure?
Some lifestyle measures can help treat heart failure and prevent the condition from developing. Maintaining a moderate weight and exercising regularly can significantly decrease your risk of heart failure. Reducing the amount of salt in your diet can also lower your risk.
Other habits that may prevent heart failure include:
limiting alcohol intake
not smoking
avoiding high fat foods
getting the right amount of sleep
staying active
Question: What are the possible complications that could arise from congestive heart failure?
Untreated heart failure can eventually lead to congestive heart failure (CHF), a condition in which blood builds up in other areas of your body. In this potential life threatening condition, you may experience fluid retention in your limbs as well as in your organs, such as the liver and lungs.
Additional complications of heart failure can include:
stroke
thromboembolism
arrhythmias, like atrial fibrillation
kidney dysfunction
Heart attack
A heart attack may also occur because of a complication related to heart failure.
Call 911 or your local emergency services right away if you have these symptoms:
crushing chest pain
discomfort in the chest, such as squeezing or tightness
discomfort in the upper body, including numbness or a coldness
fatigue
dizziness
rapid heart rate
vomiting
nausea
cold sweats
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