Any medical diagnosis that mentions “failure” is scary to hear. While serious in nature, congestive heart failure (CHF) is treatable.
What do you need to know about heart failure, including red flags and treatment options?
Types of Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure occurs when blood has trouble moving through the heart. This can result from a variety of reasons, including:
- Systolic Heart Failure—weak heart muscle that results in the reduced ability of the heart to “squeeze” and push blood out of the heart to the rest of the body
- Diastolic Heart Failure—the heart muscle is too stiff and unable to relax and receive blood; this results in the reduced ability of the heart to “squeeze” and push blood out of the heart to the rest of the body
In both scenarios, the amount of blood moving forward through the heart is not enough to meet the demands of the body. All that pressure backs up, and patients will begin to experience symptoms, such as:
- shortness of breath at rest and/or with exertion
- abnormal swelling in the legs
- nausea and abdominal discomfort
- increasing abdominal size over a short period of time (days to weeks)
- difficulty lying flat or sleeping due to breathing issues
- chest pressure/chest heaviness
What Causes CHF?
The most common cause of congestive heart failure is heart disease, which includes blockages in the arteries and history of heart attack. Leaky or restricted heart valves and uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure) can also contribute.
Another culprit is idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, which is a disease of the heart muscle with an unknown cause. This happens when the heart’s main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, is enlarged, dilated and weak, and therefore decreases the heart’s ability to pump blood. Idiopathic means there may not be a concrete explanation for what is happening. It occurs in about 30% of cases.
Treatment Options
It’s important to identify the appropriate treatment option for CHF. In doing so, physicians look for and treat the cause(s). For example, a stent addresses arterial blockage. Medications control hypertension. Certain therapies exist to treat “niche” diseases, such as amyloidosis. Most patients with heart failure will be treated with a cocktail of medications that treat blood pressure but have also been proven to improve heart function and extend life/improve the quality of life.
If CHF becomes quite advanced, different therapies are often used. For example:
- surgical implantation of a ventricular assist device (VAD), which is mechanical pump used to support heart function and blood flow
- heart transplantation in end-stage scenarios
It is also critically important to make lifestyle changes for treatments to be effective. These include:
- a low sodium diet (the patient’s provider will recommend the right amount of sodium)
- monitoring fluid intake (work with the patient’s provider to determine healthy ranges)
- daily weight check-ins to ensure weight is not going up (rapid increase of weight can mean fluid retention)
- moderate aerobic exercise for 30 minutes a day, 5 days per week or as recommended by the patient’s provider
Be on Alert
An echocardiogram diagnoses congestive heart failure. Yet, it’s important people watch for potential red flags before CHF gets out of control.
Again, watch for:
- abnormal swelling in the legs
- increasing abdominal girth
- shortness of breath
- difficulty lying flat
- chest pressure/chest heaviness
These are signs and symptoms that something is wrong. You should not ignore them. Schedule an appointment with your primary care provider right away.
Your primary care physician may refer you for a follow-up with a heart specialist. Or everything may turn out fine! But you don’t want to take the chance with your health in case an underlying issue, like congestive heart failure, is afoot. The sooner you act, the sooner you can feel better and protect your heart.
More to Read:
- Heart Failure Warning Signs
- COPD or Heart Failure? The Heart-Lung Health Connection
- Women and Heart Health: How to Reduce Your Heart Disease Risk
- When to Seek Emergency Room Care for Cardiovascular Symptoms
- Sink Your Teeth Into These 8 Heart-Healthy Foods
Medically reviewed by Clarence Findley, MD.
