The body’s circulatory system moves blood, nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and hormones, around the body. The heart is at the center of this structure of blood vessels, arteries and veins. As the body ages, heart failure can set in and put a strain on a large part of the body’s functions.
Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood throughout the body. It does not mean that the heart has stopped or is about to stop working. The condition develops over time and as the heart weakens, it may lose the ability to fill with enough blood, pump with adequate force or both.
In a normal heart, veins bring oxygen-poor blood from the body to the right side of the heart. The blood is then pumped through the pulmonary artery to the lungs, where it is re-oxygenated. From there, the blood goes to the left side of the heart and is pumped through a large artery called the aorta that distributes it throughout the body.
Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition that continues to damage the heart over time. Various events or conditions can cause this cumulative harm, such as a heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease. At first the organ finds ways to compensate, but over time the heart’s workload increases and causes more damage, which shows up in different ways. The heart’s chambers may compensate by stretching to pump stronger, which causes the walls to thin, or they may thicken as heart muscles build up to create more force.
Left-Side Heart Failure
In most cases, heart failure affects the left side of the heart, causing a shortage of oxygen-rich blood going to the whole body. The left ventricle is the largest chamber of the heart and provides most of the power for pumping blood through the cardiovascular system. Two things can happen to the left ventricle to cause it to pump less effectively. Chamber walls can stretch out, become thinner and eventually lose the ability to pump blood. This is called systolic heart failure. When the walls thicken, the chambers become inflexible and shrink, preventing the heart from filling with enough blood. This is called diastolic heart failure.
Right-Side Heart Failure
When heart failure affects the right side, the heart cannot pump enough blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen. Weakness on the right side usually is caused by left-side heart failure. When both of these pumping mechanisms are compromised, unoxygenated blood can back up throughout the body, causing swelling in the extremities and abdomen.
Congestive Heart Failure
While the terms heart failure and congestive heart failure (CHF) are often used interchangeably, these conditions are different. When the heart is weakened significantly and blood and fluid collect in the feet, ankles and legs, it also builds up in the lungs. This excess fluid puts dangerous amounts of pressure on vital organs. This fluid build-up is called edema. In addition to inhibiting proper blood flow, CHF can interfere with the kidneys’ ability to balance water and sodium in the body.
Who Is at Risk?
Scientists estimate that 5.7 million people in the U.S. currently have heart failure and that number is growing. This condition is the primary reason older people are hospitalized and is a contributing cause of about one in nine deaths each year. Although heart failure is most common in men, African Americans, and those who are 65 years and older, the condition affects more women in their 70s and 80s because women typically enjoy longer lifespans.
Precautions
To prevent further damage to the heart, anyone experiencing any of the following symptoms of heart failure should seek medical attention. For those who already have been diagnosed with heart failure, tracking these indicators is important for managing the condition.
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Chronic coughing and/or wheezing
- Fatigue
- Light-headedness
- Swelling of the feet, ankles and legs
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Elevated heart rate
- Confusion or disorientation
- Unexplained weight gain