Congestive Heart Failure: Causes and Treatment

Congestive heart failure is a chronic condition that can have life-threatening consequences if left unaddressed. However, with the right medical intervention and lifestyle modifications, it is possible to reverse the disorder when caught early.    

CardioVascular Health Clinic provides complete heart care and services for heart failure. If you believe you or a loved one might need care, please schedule an appointment today.

Here’s a little information about the causes and treatment for heart failure at CardioVascular Health Clinic. 

What Causes Congestive Heart Failure?

Your heart works continuously to distribute oxygen-rich blood through your body. Congestive heart failure occurs when various factors strain the heart, causing it to lose strength or become rigid. As a result, the heart fails to function optimally, leading to insufficient blood flow. When the heart cannot pump enough blood to sustain the body, the condition is called heart failure. 

Factors that increase the risk of heart failure can include the following:

• Amyloidosis: A condition that causes protein buildup within the organs, including the heart muscle (cardiac amyloidosis).
• Arrhythmias: An erratic heartbeat triggered by disordered electrical heart signals.
• Cancer treatments: Certain cancer treatments can damage heart cells, leaving the heart weaker and less efficient.
• Cardiomyopathy: A disorder that causes the heart muscle to become stiff, enlarged, or thick.
• Congenital heart disease: Prenatal heart disorders.
• Coronary artery disease (CAD): When blood flow in the heart's blood vessels is restricted due to blockage or narrow blood vessels. 
• Heart valve disease: A disorder that causes malfunction of one or more of the heart's four valves. 
• Pericarditis: Inflammation, swelling, and irritation of the sac surrounding the heart.

In general, there are two categories of heart failure, both affecting the ventricles, or lower heart chambers:

Left-Sided Heart Failure 

There are two types of left-sided heart failure: systolic or diastolic. Systolic heart failure occurs when the left ventricle cannot contract sufficiently. Diastolic heart failure is when the left ventricle does not dilate and fill. In both cases, left-sided heart failure leads to pulmonary embolism (blood filling in the lungs).

Right-Sided Heart Failure 

A dysfunctional right ventricle that causes fluid to back up in the legs, feet, or abdomen

What are the Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure?

There is a wide range of symptoms related to heart failure. Initially, you may develop flu-like symptoms, such as:

• Body aches
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Chills
• Appetite loss

As the condition advances, the symptoms might become more severe. These include:

• Abdominal pain and bloating after eating
• Difficulty breathing/shortness of breath
• Disordered sleep
• Unexplained weight gain
• Fluid accumulation in the legs and feet

What Are the Stages of Congestive Heart Failure?

There are four stages of congestive heart failure. Recognizing congestive heart failure at its earliest stages is critically important to reverse or successfully manage the condition. When a patient advances through the different stages, the chances of survival decrease.

Stage A

Stage A of congestive heart failure occurs before the onset of actual heart failure; it is the collection of symptoms and indicators that strongly suggest vulnerability to heart failure. Patients at stage A often have chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or coronary artery disease (CAD)

Stage A of congestive heart failure does not have symptoms, but the symptoms of contributing chronic conditions might be present. These symptoms include:

• Swelling of the legs, feet, and hands
• Difficulty breathing
• Fatigue

Managing the contributing medical factors is critical; because there is not yet structural heart damage, the patient has the best chance of avoiding heart failure completely if the risk factors are addressed successfully.

Stage B

At stage B, there are structural signs of heart disease. These can include reduced pumping efficiency or left ventricular dysfunction. While there might be symptoms of the medical conditions that increase heart failure risk, there will not be symptoms of heart failure.

Stage C

Stage C heart failure will likely become symptomatic. The symptoms include:

• Difficulty exercising
• Persistent fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Weakness in the legs
• Swollen abdomen, legs, ankles, and feet
• Irregular heartbeat
• Persistent dry cough

Medications might be administered for stage C heart failure. These often include diuretics and beta blockers to lower blood pressure and manage heart rhythm. Surgical interventions, such as implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) that monitor heart rates and deliver electric shocks to resume a normal heartbeat, might also be recommended.    

Stage D

Stage D is considered the final stage of heart failure. By the fourth stage, symptoms do not improve with treatments, though a heart transplant might still be an option for some patients.

What Are Treatments for Heart Failure?

Patients whose heart failure has not advanced beyond stage C might respond well to the following treatments:

• Implantable pacemaker (a device that maintains a regular heart rhythm)
• Ventricular assist device (an implantable tool that facilitates blood flow from the lower chambers of the heart)
• Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (a procedure that clears the blockage from all affected arteries)
• Heart valve repair surgery

If you have concerns about your heart health or think you might be at risk for heart failure or coronary artery disease, please contact our representatives to schedule a thorough evaluation today.