 Blood tests: A blood sample would be taken for checking your thyroid functions and the kidneys and also to find out any other indicators of diseases that could affect the heart. Additionally, the doctor might as well check the blood sample for some specific chemical prominence that could lead to heart failure, like the brain natriuretic peptide hormone or BNP. Although this hormone is first identified in our brain, but it is as well secreted by our heart when the heart is either injured or is over-stressed.
 Chest X-ray: X-ray images are a great aid for doctors and helps in identifying the condition of the heart as well as the lungs. Incase of congestive heart failure, the heart might appear to be larger than usual and the development of fluids in the lungs can also be visible. The doctor might as well diagnose some other conditions, besides heart failure that can be an explanation for the symptoms manifested.
 ECG or Electrocardiogram: With the help of this test the electrical activity of the heart can be tested with the use of electrodes that are attached to the skin. The impulses generated are recorded in the form of waves and then displayed on the monitor or is printed on a piece of paper. This test allows the doctor to have a clear picture of the heart rhythms and any problem associated with it that can cause potential damage to the heart.
 Echocardiogram: It happens to be one of the most vital tests for diagnosing as well as monitoring congestive heart failure. With echocardiogram, the doctors can as well distinguish the systolic and the diastolic heart failure. In an echocardiogram, sound waves are used to produce video images of the heart. These images assist doctors in determining whether the heart has been pumping efficiently or not by measuring the amount (in percentage) of pumped blood out of the heart’s principal pumping chamber, which is the left ventricle, with every single heartbeat. This measurement is known as ejection fraction.
 Ejection fraction: The ejection fraction would be measured during the echocardiogram. This is a vital measurement to identify whether or not the heart is pumping efficiently and further helps in classifying heart failure and guiding the treatment. A healthy heart has an ejection fraction of approximately 60%.

Apart from these, some additional tests like Stress test, Coronary catheterization or angiogram and Cardiac CT or MRI scan can be done. These tests help in further confirming the extent of congestive heart failure that could possibly lead to severe consequences. Depending on the reports of the tests conducted, the treatment procedure would be planned by the doctor for betterment.

Though the conditions that lead to congestive heart failure are irreversible, yet there are ways to treat the condition efficiently through medications and lifestyle alterations. Medications can aid in improving the symptoms of congestive heart failure gradually, thus increasing the chances of survival. Some lifestyle changes like exercising, managing stress, reducing salt consumption, preventing stress and depression and losing body weight can help in preventing the fluid build up, thus improving the over all quality of life.

The only way of preventing congestive heart failure is by controlling the associated risk factors and also managing any underlying conditions like high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes effectively and aggressively.

Congestive heart failure gradually develops to become chronic; the process of development is usually slow. It is a chronic and long-term condition, though the symptoms might not manifest at the very initial stages. You are likely to experience the symptoms almost suddenly without any prior signs and this condition is known as acute heart failure. “Congestive heart failure” – the term has been derived from the condition in which blood backs up into the liver, lungs, abdomen and the lower extremities, thus causing congestion.

Congestive heart failure can be categorized into different types and the symptoms of each of these types vary. Noted below are the various types of heart failure and its associated symptoms:

Type 1: Chronic heart failure

This is a long-term complication with persisting signs and symptoms. The symptoms of this condition include—

 Weakness and fatigue
 Irregular or raid heartbeat
 Breathlessness or dyspnea during activities
 Inability to exercise
 Persistent cough followed by wheezing with blood and mucus
 Swelling of the legs, feet and ankles
 Swelling of the abdomen
 Rapid weight gain
 Appetite loss and nausea
 Decreased alertness

Type 2: Acute heart failure

This is an emergency situation where something affects your heart and its ability to work almost suddenly. The symptoms are quite similar to that of chronic heart failure, but are severe in nature and include

 Sudden fluid development
 Irregular or rapid heartbeat accompanied by palpitations
 Severe breathlessness and cough
 Chest pain

After diagnosing whether the condition is acute or chronic, the doctor would have to detect which part of the heart has been affected. There are symptoms to identify the effected part of the heart as well.

 Left-sided Heart failure: This is the most common one and is characterized by shortness of your breath and backing up of blood and fluids in the lungs.
 Right-sided heart failure: This condition is mostly accompanied with left-sided heart failure in which the blood and fluids tend to back up into the abdomen, feet and legs, thus causing inflammation.
 Systolic heart failure: In this case, the left ventricle fills to contract vigorously, thus creating pumping problems.
 Diastolic heart failure: Also known as heart failure with normal ejection fraction where the left ventricle fails to relax or fill up fully, thus creating filling problems.

Several medicines are used in conjunction for treating congestive heart failure. Depending on the kind of symptoms and its severity, the medicines would be recommended. You might just be advised one of these drugs mentioned below or may be two or more in combination. Some of the most useful drugs for treating congestive heart failure include:

4 Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or ACE inhibitors: These drugs are essentially helpful in treating congestive heart failure and can even increase lifespan while giving considerable relief form the symptoms. ACE inhibitors are basically a typical type of vasodilator, which means a drug that can widen or dilate the blood vessels, thus lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow and decreasing the heart’s workload. Medicines like enalaprul (Vasotec), captopril (Capoten) and lisinopril (Zestril, Prinvil) belong to this category. ACE inhibitors can as well blunt the effects of certain hormones that can promote water and salt retention. Side effects of this drug include irritating cough in some cases.

4 Angiotensin II (A-II) receptor blockers or ARBs: These drugs include valsartan (Diovan) and losartan (Cozaar) and contain some of the essential benefits of the ACE inhibitors. The only difference is that these drugs can give you relief from the irritating cough which is associated with the ACE inhibitors. This is an alternative option for people who cannot take ACE inhibitors.

4 Beta Blockers: These drugs help in slowing down the heart beat and also decrease blood pressure. These medicines can as well decrease the risk associated with the development of abnormal rhythms of the heart. Beta blockers can also reduce the signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure.

4 Digoxin (Lanoxin): This medicine, also known as digitals, can help in increasing the strength of the heart muscle contractions. It tends to further slow down the heartbeat. Digoxin also helps in reducing the symptoms of heart failure and also aids in improving the ability to survive longer with this condition.

4 Diuretics: Alternatively known as water pills, diuretics can improve urination in patients, thus keeping fluids from getting collected in the body. Some of the common ones include furosemide (Lasix) and beumetanide (Bumex). These drugs further help in decreasing the fluid in the lungs, thus making it easy for the patient to breathe.
4 Aldosterone antagonists: These are basically potassium-sparing diuretics, but they do have some additional properties that assist the heart in functioning properly.
 
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When congestive heart failure is diagnosed, it literally means that the condition is much beyond nutritional prevention. The damage has been done by then. But still nutritional intervention can be of great help.

Earlier on, certain prescribed drugs were the only means of treating the condition, but with the passing time some advanced techniques have come up that can help in strengthening the heart and regulating the heartbeat. Vasodilators are given as the drugs that can help in opening up the blood vessels and can improve the cardiac output, thus relieving backed-up blood from the blood vessels all through the body, particularly in the lungs. Diuretic drugs are commonly used for treating edema or fluid build up.

It is also possible to treat congestive heart failure with the help of certain complementary treatment options:

Thiamin:

Thiamin deficiency is highly responsible for causing congestive heart failure. Thiamin is basically Vitamin B-1. Supplying ample amount of this vitamin to the body can prevent heart failure.

Vitamin E:

An antioxidant vitamin that acts as a potential defense against the damage caused by free radicals is the vitamin E. This vitamin, in its natural form, can be used for strengthening and regulating the heartbeats. Vitamin E should be taken in smaller doses initially, but with the doctor’s recommendation only.

Herbal Diuretics:

Herbal medicines can be used for reducing the swelling and inflammation caused due to the retained fluids.

Selenium

Selenium deficiency is also one of the leading causes of a type of congestive heart disease, which is known as Keshan disease. Additionally, selenium also aids the body in recharging as well as reusing the vitamin E efficiently.

Potassium

Potassium deficiency can lead to congestive heart failure and both the disease and the remedy are related to one another. Potassium is also associated with magnesium deficiency. Lower levels of potassium can lead to erratic heartbeat or heart arrhythmia. Potassium is contained in various things, such as fruits, green vegetables and juices. Nuts, legumes and whole grains are also rich sources of potassium. Brazil nuts are loaded with potassium.

Magnesium

Magnesium has a tremendous role to play in the normal functioning of our heart. Profound deficiency of magnesium can lead to muscle malfunction and might as well prevent the proper functioning of the same as well. This mineral has a pivotal role to play in maintaining the normal rhythm of the heart. Magnesium is essentially part of heart-care medications.

Co-Enzyme Q10:

It is one of the harmless and the most essential compounds for treating heart conditions. It has zero side effects. But the worst part is that it is quite expensive. But not more than a heart transplant.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

A very heart-friendly ingredient, found in foods, such as dietary fishes and can help in reducing the chances of irregular heart beats caused due to CHF. It also helps in controlling the blood pressure levels that can increase your chances of developing congestive heart failure.