Introduction:
The heart is the vital organ of the body because it supplies blood all over the body. If the heart isn’t able to pump the blood to the whole body, it will make choices that affect the whole body’s function, which means any issue in the heart is very risky. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a potentially fatal and chronic condition caused by a weakened or damaged heart. As a result, the heart is unable to efficiently circulate blood throughout the body. The kidneys may filter out less fluid because they receive less blood. As a result, the body begins to hold onto this fluid. This fluid can build up in the lower extremities, stomach, liver, and lungs. CHF is named after the “congestion” of fluid.
Different Types of Congestive Heart Failure?
Heart failure can occur on either the left or right side of the heart, or both. It usually starts in the heart’s primary pumping chamber, the left ventricle. Each form of CHF is distinguished by its unique set of characteristics:
- Right-sided Congestive Heart Failure
Right-sided CHF develops when the right ventricle struggles to deliver blood to the lungs. As blood backs up into the blood vessels, the body begins to retain fluid in the abdomen and lower body. Aside from this swelling, patients may also experience shortness of breath among their symptoms.
- Left-sided Congestive Heart Failure
Left-sided CHF is the most common form of CHF and begins when the left ventricle cannot effectively pump blood throughout the body. Eventually, this can lead to fluid retention, particularly around the lungs. Common symptoms include swelling, trouble breathing, and coughing.
- Biventricular Congestive Heart Failure
This condition is a combination of both left- and right-sided heart failure. When damage expands and impacts both sides of the heart, patients can experience swelling and shortness of breath.
Cases of left-sided CHF can be further classified into one of two sub-types, characterized by the manner in which the ventricle is affected:
- Congestive Heart Failure (Systolic)
Systolic CHF develops when the left ventricle is unable to contract forcefully enough to effectively circulate blood. The left ventricle can thin and weaken as it attempts to perform, resulting in backward blood flow, fluid buildup, and swelling.
- Diastolic Cardiovascular Failure
Diastolic CHF happens when the heart muscle stiffens. In order to fill with blood between contractions, the chamber must relax. As a result, stiffness indicates that there is little blood available to pump to the rest of the body.
Risk Factors:
Heart failure can strike anyone at any age. It affects both men and women, but men are more likely than women to get it at a younger age. You are at risk if you have these symptoms.
- Age can cause your heart muscle to weaken and stiffen.
- your family health history.
- Changes in your genes are affecting your cardiac tissue.
You have several bad habits that are bad for your heart. For example.
- Smoking.
- Consuming foods that are heavy in fat, cholesterol, and sodium (salt).
- A sedentary way of life.
- AUD stands for alcohol use disorder.
- Use of illegal drugs.
Other medical disorders that can harm your heart include:
- Infection, such as HIV or COVID-19
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Sleep apnea
- Chronic kidney disease
- Anaemia
- Iron overload disease
- Cancer treatments that can harm your heart, such as radiation and chemotherapy.
Medical treatment:
Health care providers are key players since they are educated to address these types of heart attacks in a systematic manner. When the emergency team arrives, they will take over the person’s care. Give the team as much information about the person’s health and what transpired before the occurrence as possible. The team will make every effort to stabilise the individual’s condition, including the provision of oxygen.
Conclusion:
Heart failure doesn’t mean that your heart completely fails to work, but in broad terms, it means that due to stiffness or weakness, your heart is not working up to par. There are various reasons behind this failure. Genetics and lifestyle play a key role in the journey to heart failure. Some factors increase the chances of getting heart failure, which include alcohol, smoking, and eating a large amount of fat. Heart failure symptoms include fatigue or decreased energy; difficulty breathing while walking, doing daily tasks, exercising, or lying flat; weight gain; leg swelling; and belly swelling or feeling full.
