Question

Overview of heart failure

Answer 1

Heart failure:- is a condition in which the heart is no longer able to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body efficiently and this causes symptoms to occur throughout the body.

Causes:- The condition may affect only the right side or only the left side of the heart or even both sides of the heart.

Systolic heart failure, or heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction :- Here, the heart muscle cannot pump (eject) the blood out of the heart very well.

Diastolic heart failure, or heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction :- Here, the heart muscle is stiff and does not fill up with blood easily.

Congestive heart failure:- The heart's pumping becomes less effective, blood may back up in other areas of the body.

The most common causes of heart failure are narrowing or blockage of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart and this eventually weaken the heart muscle over time or suddenly.This is the main cause of congestive heart failure. Other cause are high blood pressure that is not well controlled which leads to problems with stiffness, or eventually leading to muscle weakening, Heart valves that are leaky or narrowedI, Infection that weakens the heart muscle etc.

Symptoms:- Symptoms of heart failure often begin slowly.It includes Cough,Fatigue, weakness, faintness,Loss of appetite,Need to urinate at night,Pulse that feels fast or irregular, or a sensation of feeling the heartbeat,Shortness of breath when you are active or after you lie down,Swollen liver or abdomen, Swollen feet and ankles etc.

Treatment includes monitoring and self care, medicines, surgery and devices like voronary bypass surgery, hesrt valve surgery, pacemaker, defibrillator etc.

Hope this helps you. Thank you!?