Congestive hear failure is a typical condition that occurs when our heart fails to pump enough blood to our body, thus causing the fluid to get collected in our lungs and our body tissues that results in congestion.

 

Congestive failure is a common condition with the elderly as the risk of developing this condition increases with age.

 

However, congestive heart failure doesn’t really mean that your heart stops functioning completely. It is rather a prolonged condition that can be checked with the help of medicines and some lifestyle changes. The condition can be controlled before it is too late.

 

The Symptoms

 

The common symptoms of congestive heart failure does not manifest during the initial stages. And even if they do, it would be difficult to identify the disease since the symptoms are quite common, such as:

 

  • Tremendous fatigue,
  • Breathlessness, especially when a person is doing some activities like climbing stairs or exercising,
  • Rapid weight gain due to sudden accumulation of fluids in the ankles, legs and feet,
  • Fluid build up in the lungs and the abdomen,
  • Chest pain,
  • Choking sensation during the night,
  • Difficulty in lying down flat,
  • Persistent cough with blood and mucus.

 

Congestive heart failure increases the risk of a heart attack in individuals. It might as well lead to some other critical problems like stroke, muscle-wasting, lung problems and DVT. Eventually, the condition might as well decrease mobility, thus making the patients weak and lonely.

 

The Causes

 

In most if the cases, the exact cause of congestive heart failure remains unknown. However, there are some suggested contributing factors, including:

 

  • Heart inflammation and/or infection (cardiomyopathy),
  • Coronary heart diseases,
  • Diseases or infected heart valves,
  • high cholesterol numbers,
  • elevated blood pressure levels,
  • alcoholism,
  • angina,
  • hyperthyroidism,
  • smoking,
  • obesity,
  • renal failure, and
  • Diabetes.

 

However, the main contributing factor that prevails is age.

 

Diagnosis

 

Several tests are to be conducted for identifying congestive heart failure:

 

  • exercise or stress testing, to observe the performance of the heat under pressure or stress,
  • ECG or electrocardiograph,
  • Echocardiograph, which is an ultrasound scan done of the muscles and the valves of the heart,
  • Chest X-ray,
  • MRI, which is an imaging technique, and
  • Coronary angiography, in which a dye like substance is injected into our bloodstream to have a clear view of the arteries ruing X-ray.

 

Treatment

 

Various medications can be given for treating congestive heart failure, though the condition isn’t really curable. However, it can be managed with some medications and some lifestyle alterations as well.

 

There are numerous drugs that have been identified as the best to minimize the symptoms of congestive heart failure, including:

 

  • ACE or Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitors
  • Angiotensin II receptor antagonists
  • Vasodilators
  • Diuretics or water tablets
  • Intravenous medications
  • Beta blockers
  • Cardiac glycosides
  • Cholesterol controlling medications

 

In some critical cases, where medications fail to produce results, surgeries might be required. Bypass surgery, coronary angioplasty or heart transplant might become inevitable.

 

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Filed under: Congestive Heart Failure Treatments

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