Heart failure does not always mean that your heart has suddenly stopped functioning. In general, it means that it’s not functioning as effectively as it should. It is not pumping blood, oxygen, and other essential nutrients well. Congestive heart disease is a specific condition of heart failure that leads to a buildup of fluid (known as congestion) in your lungs and other body tissues. It is not a sudden condition however. It develops at a slow pace. In fact, the pace is so slow that most people do not even feel any symptom for years. They come to know about the problem only when the symptoms get worse. The situation worsens because your own heart starts making effort to compensate for its gradual weakening. For example, it starts pumping faster to ensure proper blood flow in your body, but such acts further weaken its strength.
Risk Factors
Following are some of the major risk factors that may lead to congestive heart disease.
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• Birth with continental heart defects.
• Cardiomyopathy, which is a disease of the heart muscle.
• Defects in heart valves, especially in the aortic and mitral valves
• Arrhythmia, which refers to irregular heartbeat
• Hypertension i.e. high blood pressure
• Coronary or ischemic artery disease
• Previous rerecords of heart attacks
Signs And Symptoms
You should carefully watch for certain symptoms that may indicate that your heart is not functioning properly. You must be able to tell your doctor accurately about everything you are experiencing. This will help the doctor identify the side of your heart that is not working properly. For example, if you are having cough (especially at night), feeling very tired or shortness of breath, you are probably suffering from left-sided heart failure. It happens when blood and fluid back up into your lungs. On the other hand, if you are experiencing edema or going to bathroom more often (especially at night), you are probably suffering from right-sided heart failure. Edema refers to swelling of ankles, legs, and feet. However, in some cases, the swelling may also spread to the stomach, liver, and lungs. The right side of your heart stops functioning properly because of fluid build-up in your veins caused by the slowed blood flow.
Here is a brief rundown on some of the most common signs and symptoms of congestive heart disease.
• Irregular or fast pulse
• Cold and sweaty skin
• Swollen neck veins
• Feeling of indigestion
• Chest pain
• Weight gain from excess fluid
• Trouble in breathing
• Weakness and fatigue
• Your attention span and memory also gets affected. So, you may feel restless and confused.
Like with any other type of heart disease, the best way to prevent congestive heart disease is to practice healthy lifestyle habits. Besides that, you should also be well informed about the various risk factors and take proper preventive measures to control the same. You are strongly recommended to consult your doctor as soon as you start experiencing even minor symptoms.