Medical || Cause, symptoms and types of heart failure.

Introduction to heart failure:

Heart failure or cardiac failure refers to  the condition in which the heart is not able to pump sufficient amount of blood to all parts of the body. The cause is usually decreased contractility of the myocardium resulting from diminished coronary blood flow.

Heart failure may involve left ventricle or right ventricle or both . However heart failure can also be caused by the damaged heart valves , external pressure around the heart etc.

 Heart failure may be acute or chronic.

Acute heart failure:

 Acute heart failure refers to the condition in which symptoms of abnormal heart functions, occur ,suddenly and rapidly.

But the duration of symptoms of acute heart failure is very short, the condition improves rapidly.

Proper treatment is beneficial for this.

Chronic heart failure:

In this type of heart failure symptoms of abnormal heart functions apper slowly over a period of time and become worst gradually.

Congestive heart failure:

Congestive heart failure is the condition,that results by accumulation of fuild in the lungs and other tissues. When the heart loses it's ability to pump blood through the aorta , then the blood accumulates in the heart . It results in dilation of the chambers and accumulation of blood in veins. 

Some of the common causes of heart failure or cardiac failure are ,

•      Congenital heart disease
•      Hypertension (persistent high blood pressure)
•      Arrhythmia (Problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat)
•     Defective heart valves
•     Cardiac muscle disease such as cardiomyopathy.
•     Coronary artery disease (Coronary occlusion, Myocardial ischemia, Necrosis , Angina pectoris etc)
•    Diabetes
•    Hyperthyroidism
•    Anemia(Decrease in blood cells )
•    Lung disorders
•    Inflammation of cardiac muscle due to viral infection,drugs , alcohol etc.

Symptoms of heart failure:

Depiction of a person suffering from heart failure,Author,Source, License-CC BY-SA 4.0

 Symptoms of chronic heart failure:

  1.Fatigue and weakness.

  2. Rapid and irregular heartbeat.

  3. Shortness of breathing.

  4.Nausea and vomiting.

  5. Cough

  6.Chest pain ,if developed by myocardial infarction.

  7.Loss of appetite.

Symptoms of acute heart failure:

Symptoms of acute heart failure may be same as chronic heart failure. But in case of chronic heart failure symptoms appear slowly over a period of time but in acute heart failure symptoms apper severaly and suddenly.

When the acitivity of the heart starts to fail suddenly,the fluid accumulates in lungs causing pulmonary edema. It results in sudden and severe shortness of breath,cough with pink , heart palpitations etc . If treatment does not happen in proper time ,then it may lead to sudden death.

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Types of heart failure:

1.Systolic heart failure:

Systolic heart failure refers to the heart failure in which the heart loses it's ability to contract.

It may involve left part of the heart or right part of the heart or both . Valvular defect or muscular weakness is responsible for the systolic heart failure.

In systolic heart failure the ventricles enlarges.

2.Diastolic heart failure:

Diastolic heart failure refers to the heart failure in which due to the stiffening of cardiac muscle the ventricles cannot relax properly.

Because of this reason there is  reduction in ventricular filling and cardiac output.

3.Right sided heart failure:

Right side heart failure, Author,Source, License-CC BY-SA 4.0

Right sided heart failure refers to the heart failure in which the right side of the heart loses its ability to pump blood.  If the the right ventricle of the right side of the heart loss it's ability to pump blood ,then blood accumulates in right atrium and blood vessels. It causes edema in the feet ,ankles ,legs,and abdomen.

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4.Left sided heart failure:

 Left sided heart failure refers to the heart failure in which left side of the heart loses its ability to pump blood . Left sided heart failure causes congestion of lungs.

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