Congestive Heart Failure
Nearly five million Americans are living with congestive heart failure (CHF). Heart failure refers to the heart failing to adequately perform its job of pumping blood to meet the body’s needs. Left ventricular reconstruction (LVR) can help treat CHF, reduce the risk of sudden death and improve your quality of life.
What is congestive heart failure?
Your heart has four chambers. The lower half of your heart has two ventricles and the upper half of your heart has two atria. Ventricles pump blood to your body’s organs and tissues, and the atria receive blood from your body as it circulates back.
CHF develops when your ventricles can’t sufficiently pump blood to the body. Over time, blood and other fluids can back up inside other organs, including your lungs, liver, lower body, or abdomen. This faulty pumping also means your body isn’t receiving enough of the oxygen it requires.
Many people with severe heart disease develop heart failure over time. When and how it develops depends on the type of underlying heart disease.
What are the symptoms of congestive heart failure?
In the early stages of heart failure, you may have no symptoms. When symptoms do develop, they could include:
- A dry, hacking cough, especially when lying down
- Confusion, sleepiness, and disorientation may occur in older people
- Dizziness, fainting, fatigue, or weakness
- Fluid buildup, especially in the legs, ankles, and feet
- Increased urination at night
- Nausea, abdominal swelling, tenderness, or pain (may result from the buildup of fluid in the body and the backup of blood in the liver)
- Weight gain (due to fluid buildup)
- Weight loss as nausea causes a loss of appetite and as the body fails to absorb food well
- Rapid breathing, bluish skin, and feelings of restlessness, anxiety and suffocation
- Shortness of breath and lung congestion as the blood backs up in to the lungs
- Tiring easily
- Wheezing and spasms of the airways similar to asthma
How is congestive heart failure treated?
- Lifestyle changes, like diet and exercise
- Medicine
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), also called a biventricular pacemaker
- Surgery to restore normal blood flow in your heart (coronary artery bypass grafting or angioplasty)
- Surgery to correct heart valve disease
- Ventricular assist devices (VAD)
- Heart transplant
Congestive heart failure may seem scary, but our renowned physicians have the technology and experience to develop a personalized care plan best suited to your needs. SSM Health is here to provide helpful steps you can take to improve your heart health.