Congestive heart failure: what it is, symptoms, causes and treatment

Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart can no longer pump blood correctly, which reduces the transport of oxygen to the tissues, resulting in symptoms such as tiredness, shortness of breath and increased heart rate.

Congestive heart failure, or CHF, is more common in the elderly and people with hypertension, but its appearance can also be influenced by lifestyle habits, such as frequently drinking alcohol or smoking, for example. Understand better what heart failure is.

Watch the following video and understand more about heart failure:

Main symptoms

The main symptoms of CHF are:

• Shortness of breath, which tends to worsen over time, starting to be felt even when you are at rest;
• Excessive tiredness;
• Palpitations;
• Swelling of the lower limbs and abdominal region;
• Difficulty sleeping;
• Constant coughing with blood, in some cases;
• Nausea;
• Increased weight due to the accumulation of fluids in the body;
• Urge to urinate more often, especially at night;
• Chest pain, especially when CHF is caused by a heart attack.

In congestive heart failure, the reduction in blood pumping to the rest of the body causes the heart to overload, which results in an increase in heart rate in an attempt to promote the correct oxygenation of tissues and the proper functioning of the body.

However, the increase in heart rate leads to an imbalance between intra- and extracellular fluids, resulting in the entry of fluid into the tissues, which promotes swelling of the lower limbs and abdominal region.

How to confirm the diagnosis

The diagnosis of congestive heart failure is normally made by a cardiologist through different tests such as a stress test, chest X-ray or echocardiogram, for example, in which the functioning of the heart can be checked.

If you are interested, make an appointment with the cardiologist closest to you:

Possible causes

The main causes of congestive heart failure are:

• Arterial hypertensionwhich can result in diastolic dysfunction, in which the heart does not relax after contraction;
• Severe coronary artery disease and/or heart attack, which occurs due to the obstruction of blood vessels due to the presence of fatty plaques inside the arteries, interfering with the passage of blood. See more about severe coronary artery disease;
• Valve stenosiswhich is the narrowing of the heart valves due to aging or rheumatic fever;
• Cardiac arrhythmiawhich is characterized by changes in heartbeat, causing the heart to beat slower or faster.
• Use of some medications for the treatment of cancer (chemotherapy), antidiabetics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

In addition to these causes, CHF can also occur due to excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, smoking, rheumatic problems, obesity, diabetes, viral infections or excessive iron deposits in the tissues.

Is CHF curable?

There is no cure for CHF, however treatment helps prevent disease progression and complications.

How the treatment is carried out

Treatment for Congestive Heart Failure is carried out under the guidance of a cardiologist, and according to the cause of the disease and the stage it is in. The main medications that may be indicated are:

• Antihypertensivessuch as enalapril, benazepril and captopril, in case of high blood pressure;
• Beta blockerssuch as carvedilol, bisoprolol or metoprolol, if you have had a heart attack;
• Diureticssuch as furosemide and spironolactone, when there is fluid retention.

Furthermore, it is important to practice physical activity regularly, avoid cigarettes and alcoholic beverages, as well as have a healthier diet, avoiding excessive consumption of salt, saturated fats and ultra-processed foods.

In more advanced stages of the disease, depending on the cause, the doctor may recommend a heart transplant, the use of a ventricular assist device, heart surgery or a continuous infusion of medication. See more details on the treatment for heart failure.

Possible complications

Complications of CHF usually occur when treatment is not carried out according to the doctor’s instructions or when there is no response to treatment, which can lead to accumulation of water in the lungs (pulmonary edema), malnutrition, arrhythmia or cardiac arrest, high blood pressure, kidney and liver damage.