Congestive heart failure is a type of chronic yet a life threatening type of medical condition. This condition starts with initial trauma to one’s heart. Its symptoms may vary depending on specific side of the human heart that suffers damage to a relatively higher amount.
According to experts, CHF i.e. congestive heart failure is the incapability of the human heart to pump pure blood towards the extremities to make the unaffected side to do hard work. This activity results in many trouble co-occurring problems until the heart fail to pump further and lungs become fill with fluid.
How Serious Is Congestive Heart Failure?
According to experts, severity associated with congestive heart failure problem depends highly on its risk factors. We know that congestive heart failure is a consequence of atherosclerotic type of heart problem. Hence, CHF have a few common risk factors, which include high cholesterol, poorly controlled high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and family history. Heart valve problem becomes a big risk factor with increase in age of a patient.
Other causes of congestive heart failure problem have their own specific set of various risk factors and predispositions and in some cases, it become a complication of such problems. These causes may include alcohol and/or drug abuse, obstructive type of sleep apnea, infections and various connective tissue problems, which include sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythmatoss and amyloidosis.
Severity due to Stable CHF Problem
Most of the patients deal with stable congestive heart failure problem but may decompensate it whenever any change takes place to the body. In these conditions, heart of a patient fails to react with the changing environment of his body and fails to get enough ability or reverse to fulfill the energy needs of his body.
Severity Due to Acute De-Compensation
Acute de-compensation takes place among patients in case they have excessive fluids and get salt intake in higher amounts to retain water in their bodies or forget to intake regular medicines.
Severity Because of Symptoms
Edema: Edema is a problematic and a persistent symptom among individuals suffering from congestive heart failure. Legs, feet, ankles and abdomen fill with fluid in various tissues and organs in excessive amount resulting in a huge weight gain and difficulty in doing daily tasks. Cardiologists have recommended that a large number of individuals in advanced stages of CHF remain on a medication regimen to treat edema. These will include a combination of beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, diuretics and blood thinners.
Exhaustion: Individuals suffering from congestive heart failure usually report vertigo, dizziness, physical exhaustion and nausea in combination with exertion taking place because of any physical activity, such as climbing stairs or folding laundries. Cardiac health experts have mentioned this procedure as thriftiness of heart blood vessels, as they receive limited amount of blood supply from the person’s heart. Since blood vessels constrict, they only pump blood to vital organs and go back towards the brain and to the heart. In this way, muscles fail to get ample supply of blood rich in oxygen to perform functions without any tiredness or fatigue feelings.
Breathing Shortness: Breathing shortness also called as shortness of breath without or with cough indicates a symptom that becomes worse with further stages of any congestive heart failure. Cardiologists have identified a close relationship between shortness of breath with excessive build-up of fluid within the lungs of a person. This problem takes place whenever a person involves in physical activity or goes to a resting state. Most of the people deal with both nonproductive and productive coughing attacks and increased breathing problems during nighttime when they try to sleep. In this situation, individuals require placing many pillows below their head for elevation and getting comfort feelings while they sleep.
Also Read:
- What Are The Five Early Signs Of Congestive Heart Failure?
- Can You Exercise With Congestive Heart Failure?
- Can You Reverse The Effects Of Congestive Heart Failure?
- What Not To Eat With Congestive Heart Failure?
- 3 Best Exercises For Congestive Heart Failure
- What is the Diet for Congestive Heart Failure (Foods to Include & Foods to Avoid)
