Congestive Heart Failure: Know the Facts about this Heart Disease

Congestive heart failure, or CHF, is a medical condition whereby the heart of a person is incapable of adequately pumping blood making it hard for the body to function normally. There are many types of disease processes that affect the heart’s efficiency which result in this type of heart disease. The signs and symptoms of this disease vary from person to person, but may include a decreased capacity in performing physical activities, swelling, shortness of breath and fatigue.

A cardiologist may be able to come to a proper diagnosis after a careful review of the patient’s medical history through a series of exams and tests as well as a comprehensive and thorough physical examination. Most doctors recommend medications, mechanical therapies, heart transplants and lifestyle medications to address reversible predisposing factors as a treatment for congestive heart failure. The course that this medical condition might take will depend on a wide variety of factors.

Overview of Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure is a result of many different factors. These factors include pre existing diseases that a patient may have which may cause the heart muscle to weaken. There are also some ailments that a patient might have had that resulted to the heart muscle stiffening. Another factor that may have contributed to the suffering of patients from this type of heart disease are medical conditions that require an increased demand for oxygen that goes beyond the heart’s capabilities .

Weakening of the Heart Muscle
There are many types of diseases that can affect the pumping function of the heart’s ventricles. When the pumping action of the heart is impaired, it results in a lower rate of oxygen concentration in the bloodstream. Congestive heart failure is a result of acute infections of the heart. Such conditions are myocarditis, angina pectoris, and infectious diseases that are caused primarily by toxins. Toxins which cause weakening of the heart muscle are mainly due to alcohol abuse and chemotherapeutic agents.

When the heart’s pumping ability is diminished or reduced because of weakening of cardiac muscles, systolic dysfunction occurs. The ventricular contraction of the heart is called the systole. After each systolic action, the muscles of the ventricle need time to relax to allow the blood coming from the atria to reach the ventricles. The relaxation of the ventricle muscles is referred to as the diastole action.

Stiffening of the Heart Muscle
Hemochromatosis, or iron overload, may also lead to congestive heart failure. This results in heart muscles stiffening, which can cause impairment to the ventricle’s ability and capacity to perform the diastolic and the systolic action. The most common cause of this type of heart disease is high blood pressure that results in hypertrophied or thickened cardiac muscles.

Some patients who are suffering from congestive heart diseases may have normal pumping and filling heart functions. However, their bodies normally require a higher demand for oxygen. Hyperthyroidism and anemia may cause this condition. This makes it hard for the heart to provide the required blood flow to the entire body. This is referred to as the high output heart failure.

Effects of Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure affects other body organs, making it a dangerous medical condition. Organs that are normally affected include the kidneys, lungs, liver, and the intestines. When the heart muscles are too weak to provide adequate amount of blood to a patient’s kidneys, the kidneys lose their ability to excrete water and salt. When the kidneys are affected by this heart condition, it usually results in abnormal and increase body fluid retention. The lungs may also be affected by congestive heart disease which in turn causes pulmonary edema or fluid congestion which then results in a diminished level of strength in performing physical activities.

Since the weakening of heart muscles results in fluid retention, the excess liquid also find its way to the liver. When the liver becomes affected by congestive heart failure, its function to get rid of toxins will be impaired. When this occurs, the liver will not be able to produce the necessary proteins that the body needs. The ability of the intestines to absorb medicine and nutrients may also be compromised as a result of this heart disease. Edema or swelling of the feet and the ankles may also occur due to retention of excess liquid within the body.

Factors that Cause Congestive Heart Failure
There are many factors that cause congestive heart failure in people, but the most common causes of this medical condition are coronary artery disease, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure or hypertension, alcohol abuse, idiopathic causes and heart valve disorders. Minor causes include viral infections, infections of the heart, heart rhythm disorders, arrhythmia, and thyroid gland disorders.

Patients who have underlying heart diseases should always take note that there are some medications which can lead to congestive heart failure and may even worsen their condition. This is most true with the intake of drugs which have components that cause retention of sodium or drugs that have side effects that weaken or diminish the powers and capabilities of the heart muscle as a whole.

These medications include non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs such as naproxen (Aleve), ibuprofen including Motrin, diabetes medications that are steroidal including Avandia or Rosiglitazone and Actos or Pioglitazone. There are also medications mainly used as calcium channel blockers that may lead to or worsen the congestive heart failure condition of patients already suffering from serious cardiac medical conditions.

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