Definition:
Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), means the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Over time, conditions such as coronary artery disease or high blood pressure gradually leave the heart too weak or stiff to fill and pump efficiently.
Diagnosis:
To diagnose heart failure, the doctor will take a careful medical history and perform a physical examination.
Treatment:
The treatment of CHF focuses on treating the symptoms and signs of CHF and hindering the progression of disease. If there is a reversible cause of the heart failure (such as infection, alcohol ingestion, anemia, thyrotoxicosis, arrhythmia, or hypertension), that should be addressed as well.
Symptoms and Signs:
Given that the left side of the heart pumps blood from the lungs to the organs, failure to do so results to congestion of the lung veins and symptoms that reflect this, as well as reduced supply of blood to the tissues. The predominant respiratory symptom is shortness of breath on exertion, or in severe cases at rest - and easy fatigueability.
Causes:
Heart failure often develops after other conditions have damaged or weakened the heart. Over time, the heart fails to keep up with the normal demands placed on it. The ventricles may become stiff and not fill properly between heartbeats. Also, the heart muscle may weaken, and the ventricles stretch or dilate to the point that the heart can't pump blood efficiently throughout the body.
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