What is Heart Failure?
When you have heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), it does not mean that your heart has stopped working. It just means that your heart is not pumping as well as it should. There are two main types of heart failure: Systolic Heart Failure which occurs when the heart pumps with less force and Diastolic Heart Failure when the heart becomes stiff and can’t fill with blood.
When your heart does not pump as well as it should, it’s usually due to some other condition. Conditions that can lead to heart failure include:
- Narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart (called coronary artery disease (CAD))
- Past heart attack
- High blood pressure
- Heart valve disease
- Primary disease of the heart muscle (called cardiomyopathy)
- Defects in the heart at birth (called congenital heart disease)
- Infection of the heart valves or the heart muscle
Some effects of heart failure are lung congestion, fluid buildup, decreased blood flow, kidney problems, and heart changes. Understanding how heart failure occurs will help you manage your condition. Ask your healthcare provider to help you understand your condition, get in touch with heart failure support groups, search the internet of you have access to a computer, or check your local library for books and other resources.
National Resources:
Mayo Clinic;
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-failure/DS00061
American Heart Association;
http://www.americanheart.org/ presenter.jhtml?identifier=4585
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute;
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/ Diseases/Hf/HF_WhatIs.html