your heart is a muscular organ that
pumps blood
containing the oxygen and nutrients your
body needs
the pumping sections of the heart are
the right atrium right ventricle
left atrium and left ventricle
in your heart oxygen poor blood flows
from your body through large veins
into your right atrium
next your blood moves into your right
ventricle which contracts
sending blood out of the heart to pick
up oxygen from your lungs
oxygen-rich blood moves out of your
lungs into your left atrium
then moves into your left ventricle
finally your left ventricle contracts
sending
oxygen-rich blood out of your heart to
your body
if you have heart failure your heart has
lost the ability to pump enough blood
to meet your body's needs you may have
weak or damaged ventricular walls
that are not able to push enough blood
out of your heart
you may also have stiff and thickened
ventricular walls
that do not allow your heart to fill
with enough blood
if you have left-sided heart failure
your left ventricle does not deliver
enough oxygen-rich blood to your body
making you feel tired and out of breath
your failing left ventricle also
increases the blood pressure
in the blood vessels between your lungs
and left ventricle
this increased pressure forces fluid out
of your blood
and into your lung tissues which makes
it difficult for you to breathe
if you have right-sided heart failure
your right ventricle is unable to
contract with enough force
to push blood to your lungs
the result is a buildup of blood in your
veins
which causes a buildup of fluid called
edema
throughout the tissues in your body over
time
heart failure on either side of your
heart results in weakened enlarged
ventricles
that deliver less blood to your body
to make up for the decreased amount of
blood your nervous system
releases stress hormones that increase
the speed and force of your heartbeat
unfortunately the continued release of
these stress hormones makes your heart
failure worse because
they damage the muscle cells in your
ventricles
the most common cause of heart failure
is coronary artery disease
other causes that damage your heart and
lead to heart failure
include high blood pressure diabetes
diseased infected or damaged heart
valves
diseased infected or damaged heart
muscle
irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias
heart defects poisons or substance abuse
lung diseases and breathing problems
during sleep called sleep apnea
treatment for heart failure includes
medications
lifestyle changes or an extreme heart
failure
heartbeat assisting devices or surgery
diuretic medications reduce the swelling
in your body
by increasing the amount of urine
produced by your kidneys
ace inhibitors are medications that
allow your blood vessels to expand
this helps decrease your blood pressure
and prevents further damage to your
heart
by making it easier for your heart to
pump blood
beta blockers are medications that block
the effects of stress hormones on your
heart
although beta blockers slow down your
heartbeat they are mainly used to
protect your heart muscle from the
long-term damage
caused by stress hormones
you may need to make some lifestyle
changes including
exercising on a regular basis
maintaining a healthy weight
quitting smoking
limiting salt and alcohol
and eating a heart-healthy diet
surgeries for advanced heart failure
include
coronary artery bypass surgery to
improve blood flow to your heart muscle
heart valve reconstruction surgery to
improve blood flow through your heart
and left ventricle reconstruction
surgery to remove
damaged heart muscle
surgeries for extreme heart failure
include
insertion of a device to help your heart
pump blood
and heart transplant