Congestive Heart Failure

What is congestive heart failure?

Congestive heart failure occurs when your heart can’t pump blood as well as it should to ensure normal circulation. This condition often occurs when the heart muscles become weak or damaged.

You can also develop congestive heart failure when the heart chambers responsible for pumping blood stretch or get too stiff. As the condition worsens, your heart can’t send enough blood out to your body, to your lungs, or both.

What causes congestive heart failure?

Any health condition that affects your heart muscles can lead to congestive heart failure, including:

• Heart attack
• Coronary artery disease
• High blood pressure
• Heart valve disease
• Heart rhythm disorder (heart arrhythmias)
• Damaged heart muscles (cardiomyopathy)
• Inflamed heart muscles (myocarditis)
• Congenital heart defects
• Other chronic diseases

Diabetes, HIV, thyroid disease, sleep apnea, and a buildup of iron or protein can also contribute to congestive heart failure.

What symptoms develop due to congestive heart failure?

Whether your symptoms gradually develop or suddenly appear, you experience problems such as:

• Fatigue and generalized weakness
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling in your ankles, feet, and legs
• Swelling in your abdomen
• Frequent urination at night

You may also have a persistent cough, an irregular heartbeat, loss of appetite, or find that exercise becomes increasingly difficult. As the condition progresses, simply walking around the house may cause difficulty breathing.

How is congestive heart failure diagnosed and treated?

Lone Star Heart and Vascular Center is a full-service medical clinic that offers diagnostic testing in the office, including an EKG, echocardiogram, stress test, and nuclear stress test. In some cases, your provider may also perform radionuclide ventriculography, coronary angiography, or order an X-ray or other diagnostic imaging.

Treatment for congestive heart failure focuses on treating any underlying health conditions such as high blood pressure, reducing your symptoms, and stopping your heart failure from getting worse.  

Your provider may prescribe medications that help to reduce blood volume, lower the stress on your heart, or strengthen your heartbeat. If you develop a heart rhythm disorder, you may need radiofrequency ablation, a pacemaker, or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

When congestive heart failure becomes severe, you may need surgery to implant a mechanical heart pump or a heart transplant.

At the earliest signs of congestive heart failure, call Lone Star Heart and Vascular Center, or schedule an appointment online to get quality care and prolong your quality of life.