Types, Symptoms, and Treatment of Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure is also known as heart failure. It is a common cardiovascular disease that occurs when the heart does not pump properly. Heart failure occurs due to various ailments. But the most common of all conditions is that when excess fluid builds up around the heart and causes difficulty in pumping. As the working of the heart is not efficient, the blood and other fluids get clogged in our other vital organs like lungs, abdomen, liver, or lower body severely.
In worst cases, the fluids build up in arms, legs, ankles, feet, or lungs. The kidney also starts to retain fluid and salt.
Types of Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure is of mainly two types- left-sided and right-sided CHF.
1. Left-sided CHF: It is the most common type of heart failure. This occurs when the left ventricle fails to pump blood out to various parts of the body. This happens when either the muscles in the left ventricle fails to contract normally or becomes stiff and results in dysfunctioning. This failure in contraction and relaxation impairs the pressure with which the blood flows out of the heart and reaches to organs.
2. Right-sided CHF: This occurs when the heart fails to pump blood to the lungs. As a result, the blood starts building up in our blood vessels and leads to fluid retention in our lower body, abdomen, and other vital organs.
It is possible to have both left and right-sided congestive heart failure simultaneously.
Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure
Heart failure is a chronic condition that leads to various noticeable signs and symptoms. Here are the most common symptoms that a person with CHF have-
- Fatigue and weakness
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Persistent cough with white or pink blood-tinged phlegm
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Swelling in legs, ankles, and feet
- Shortness of breath when lying down
- Fluid retention and weight gain
- Chest pain in case of heart attack
- Shortness of breath
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Treatment of Congestive Heart Failure
The treatment for heart failure includes various options. Here are the best treatment options available.
1. Medications: To start with the treatment, any doctor would start by providing medications and suggesting lifestyle changes. The most common drugs that are used in treating CHF are ACE inhibitors, Beta-blockers, diuretics, etc. These medications help in better functioning of the heart muscles.
2. Bypass surgery: This is done when the arteries are blocked due to the plaque deposit in their inner surface. This blocks the flow of blood and causes a heart attack. In this procedure, the doctor takes arteries from other parts of the body and makes another parallel way to blood flow by making a bypass route.
3. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT): When the functioning of heart muscles becomes improper, CRT is done. In this a pacemaker is attached that sends electrical impulses to both the ventricles due to which they pump better and become in sync.
4. Hear transplant: when the heart failure is at its severity, it does not respond o any other treatments. So it is better to have a donor heart that can function properly and manages all the necessary life functions.
You May Also Like to Read: Tips for a Healthy Heart
Conclusion
Our heart is one of the most vital organs of our body. We need to take proper care and be aware of the various ailments related to it. With proper medications and treatment options, one can improve the functioning of their heart. The most important of all is the quality of our lifestyle. So take serious consideration in building better lifestyle habits. Since the treatments are expensive, you should also consider getting health insurance.
Also Read: Top Cardiac Care Insurance Plans in India
Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.
