Systemic Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure (CHF), congestive heart failure (CHF) or just heart failure is a condition that can result from a disorder of structural or functional heart which affects the heart's ability to fill with blood or pump enough blood through the body. It should not be confused with "cessation of heart beat, which is known as asystole, or with cardiac arrest, which is the cessation of normal cardiac function with subsequent hemodynamic collapse leading to death. [Edit] Because all patients have volume overload at the time of initial evaluation or subsequent term heart failure (ICD-9 428.9) is better than the older term "congestive heart failure.

What are the causes of heart failure?

Heart failure has many different causes. Sometimes the exact cause can not be found. The most common causes of heart failure are listed below:

Coronary artery disease (narrowing of blood vessels to the heart)

Problems with the heart muscle itself (cardiomyopathy)

High blood pressure (also known as hypertension)

Any disease that directly affects the heart can cause heart failure, as some disorders that indirectly affect the heart. Some disorders cause heart failure quickly, others do so only after many years. Some disorders cause systolic dysfunction, others cause diastolic dysfunction, and certain disorders such as hypertension and some heart valve disorders, can cause two types of dysfunction.

Symptoms of heart failure

Many symptoms of heart failure due to congestion that develops as fluid backs up into the lungs and leaks into the tissues. Other symptoms resulting from inadequate delivery of oxygen-rich blood to the tissues of the body. Since heart failure can progress rapidly, it is essential to consult a doctor immediately if any of the following symptoms are detected.

Heart failure on the left

Heart failure on the left side can also take your breath away. This can occur at any time, but often occurs when you are active or laying in bed. During the night, you may feel the need to sit up in bed or even to take the air.

Blood "backup" in the pulmonary veins (the vessels that return blood from the lungs to the heart) because the heart can not keep to the offer. This causes a leakage of fluid in the lungs.

To make matters worse, one or more of these conditions can coexist with congestive heart failure.

Treatment of heart failure

If you have heart failure, your doctor will monitor you closely. This means having follow up appointments at least every 3-6 months, thinking of any underlying cause and treat it, and periodic testing of your heart function. For example, an ultrasound of the heart called an echocardiogram, will be made from time to time to give an estimate of how your heart is pumping blood with each stroke or beat.

Lifestyle Changes

These changes often improve or control of some of the factors contributing to heart failure. For example, people with heart failure will see an improvement if they:

Changing daily activities and get enough rest to avoid stressing the heart

Adopt a healthy diet for the heart that is low in sodium and fat

Do not smoke and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke

Angiotensin II (A-II) receptor antagonists (ARBs). These drugs, which include losartan (Cozaar) and valsartan (Diovan), have many beneficial effects of ACE inhibitors, but they do not cause a persistent cough. They can be an alternative for people who can not tolerate ACE inhibitors.