Congestive Heart Disease
Known by many as congestive heart
failure or CHF, the congestive heart disease is a serious health condition that
affects people of every gender and race.
It is deemed by many as one of the leading causes of hospitalization in
the
Congestive heart disease occurs
when the heart losses its capability to pump blood properly. It is subsequently coupled with the
accumulation of fluid in the heart and other organs of the body, particularly
the lungs.
There are two main processes in
the heart that contribute to the development of congestive heart disease. In one hand, the disease may appear as a
result of an improper contraction of the heart, also known as pump failure. On the other hand, the congestive heart
disease may be due to the heart not relaxing completely. There are also some instances that the heart
failure may be caused by a combination of both cases. Well, in either case, congestive heart
disease is a condition that is potentially life-threatening. Several reports have in fact noted that
people who are affected by it may die sooner and more often because of the
condition.
The congestive heart disease
often appears with a number of varying signs and symptoms. This is also true among the other types of
heart disease. Typically, in severe
cases, swelling of the feet and legs, also known as edema, may appear. This symptom is coupled with difficulty in
breathing or shortness of breath (dyspnea), weakness and fatigue. In most advanced cases, the congestive heart
disease can be felt with a difficulty breathing while lying on the back, also
called orthopnea. It is further interesting
to know that in certain periods of your disease, there will be instances that
you will feel heart attacks that awaken you from sleep. This of course can be very scary, and this
attack is often associated with wheezing, cardiac asthma and coughing.
It is important to note that the
symptoms of congestive heart disease are said to occur because of certain
causes. Numerous studies have it that
the most potential causes of this health problem are hypertension, as well as a history of heart attacks. Both of these
conditions are said to be potent for causing congestive heart disease as they
alter the proper functioning of the heart, leaving the organ weak and incapable
of pumping enough supply of blood to the heart.
There are also some studies which noted that the condition can also be
due to certain problems in the heart valves, heavy use of alcohol, and
irregularities in the heart rhythm.
With the risk factors of
congestive heart disease being identified, several treatments now emerge to
back up the case. However, since the
disease appears with varying symptoms and degrees of severity, it is best to talk
to your doctor before opting for one of the available treatments. This is by far the most important move you
can ever make.