Congestive heart failure, also called heart failure, is a common complication of various medical disorders like uncontrolled hypertension and coronary artery disease. Various treatments are available to treat congestive heart failure, but it is more effective to prevent this condition from developing. One way to prevent congestive heart failure is to prevent and control conditions that cause heart failure – such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes or obesity.
What is congestive heart failure?
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic progressive condition that affects the pumping power of your heart muscle. CHF specifically refers to the stage in which fluid builds up within the heart and causes it to pump inefficiently. CHF develops when the ventricles of the heart cannot pump enough blood volume to the body. Eventually, blood and other fluids can back up inside your lungs, abdomen (tummy), liver and lower body.
What causes congestive heart failure?
Heart failure often develops after other conditions have damaged or weakened your heart. The heart does not need to be weakened to cause heart failure. It can also occur if the heart becomes too stiff. The most common causes of congestive heart failure are:
• Coronary artery disease
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Longstanding alcohol abuse
• Disorders of the heart valves
• Unknown (idiopathic) causes, such as after recovery from myocarditis
Less common causes of congestive heart failure include:
• Viral infections of the stiffening of the heart muscle
• Thyroid disorders
What are some signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure?
Signs and symptoms might present suddenly or they might occur over a long time. Some common signs and symptoms include the following:
• Shortness of breath (dyspnoea) when you exert yourself or when you lie down
• Fatigue and weakness
• Swelling (oedema) in your legs, ankles and feet
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Reduced ability to exercise
• Persistent cough or wheezing with white or pink blood-tinged phlegm
• Increased need to urinate at night
• Swelling of your abdomen (ascites)
• Very rapid weight gain from fluid retention
• Lack of appetite and nausea
• Difficulty concentrating or decreased alertness
• Sudden, severe shortness of breath and coughing up pink, foamy mucus
• Chest pain
Diagnosis
If you have symptoms suggestive of heart disease you should see your doctor for evaluation and diagnosis. You might be referred to a specialist in heart disease for further management.
Treatment
Congestive heart failure is a chronic disease needing lifelong management. In most cases, with treatment, signs and symptoms of heart failure can improve, and the heart sometimes becomes stronger. Treatment may help you live longer and reduce your chance of dying suddenly.
Doctors sometimes can correct heart failure by treating the underlying cause. For example, repairing a heart valve, or controlling a fast heart rhythm, may reverse heart failure. In most people, the treatment of heart failure involves a balance of the right medications and, in some cases, use of devices that help the heart beat and contract properly.
Complications of congestive heart failure
If you have heart failure, your prognosis depends on the cause and the severity, your overall health, and other factors such as your age. Complications can include:
• Kidney damage or failure.
• Heart valve problems.
• Heart rhythm problems. Heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias) can be a potential complication of heart failure.
• Liver damage.
Some individual’s symptoms and heart function will improve with proper treatment. In a few cases heart failure can be life-threatening.
Prevention
The key to preventing heart failure is to reduce your risk factors. You can control or eliminate many of the risk factors for heart disease — high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, for example — by making lifestyle changes along with the help of any needed medications.
Lifestyle changes you can make to help prevent heart failure include:
• Not smoking
• Controlling certain conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes
• Staying physically active
• Eating healthy foods
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Reducing and managing stress
Conclusion
Congestive heart failure is a chronic disorder often secondary to other medical conditions such as uncontrolled hypertension. Although some cases of congestive heart failure cannot be reversed, treatment can sometimes improve symptoms and help the individual live longer. Prevention and treatment of the underlying disorder causing congestive heart failure are crucial in the management of this heart disorder.
Ask Your Doctor is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. The reader should consult his or her physician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field is ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.
Dr Brett Hodge is an Obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Family Doctor who has over thirty eight years in clinical practice. Dr Hodge has a medical practice in The Johnson Building in The Valley (Tel: 264 4975828).
