Congestive Heart Failure is the inadequacy of the heart to pump sufficient blood as much as is needed by the body. This failure on the part of heart results in blood backing up behind heart. Over a period, body tissues, legs and lungs accumulate fluids as a result.
Reasons for Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive Heart Failure can occur because of either the failure of the heart’s loss of strength to forward pumping following heart muscles’ weakness (systolic dysfunction) or because of impairment of heart to relax. It can also be the abnormal demand for blood by body tissues that cause heart failure.
The symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure
The symptoms vary widely depending on the organs involved and how the body has reacted to this by way of ‘adjusting’ to the new situation. However fatigue is an early indication though it is not conclusive as it is non specific. Diminished strength to exercise and even walk, short breath, edema (swelling in ankles and legs) and sweating are some of the obvious symptoms. Increased urination due to accumulated fluids, gasping for breath and sleeplessness may be noticed. You can loose appetite and in some of you nausea can be possible.
Causes of Congestive Heart Failure
The most common cause is the coronary artery disease and hyper tension (high blood pressure). More often than not, alcoholism of long standing and smoking are also the causes of heart failure. You cannot disregard palpitations, malfunctioning of heart valves too. Medications like ibuprofen and naproxen retains sodium in the body and in turn leading to Heart Failure. Role of diabetes cannot be ruled out in Heart Failure.
Congestive Heart Failure is not known to be contagious but can attack any one without age, sex or racial discrimination.
Your doctor may advice you to avoid strenuous workouts and long exposure to Sun. Smoking is one thing you will have to avoid. Especially so when your age is 50-55 years, you need to give up smoking. Foods with high fat and cholesterol levels and sodium are better avoided.
Life Expectancy of Congestive Heart Failure Patients
Life expectancy is a number obtained by dividing total number patients by new incidences diagnosed in a year. However there is no yardstick to predict a heart patient’s life expectancy accurately. But going by the