Congestive heart failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough oxygenated blood to meet the needs of the body's other organs. The heart keeps pumping, but not as efficiently as a healthy heart. Usually, the loss in the heart's pumping action is a symptom of an underlying heart problem.
How is congestive heart failure diagnosed?
In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, diagnostic procedures for congestive heart failure may include any, or a combination of, the following:
- Laboratory tests
- Chest X-ray
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) – A test that records the electrical activity of the heart, shows abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias or dysrhythmias), and detects heart muscle damage
- Echocardiogram (also known as echo) – A noninvasive test that uses sound waves to produce a study of the motion of the heart's chambers and valves. The echo sound waves create an image on the monitor as an ultrasound transducer is passed over the heart.
Treatment for congestive heart failure:
Specific treatment will be determined by your physician(s) based on:
- Your age, overall health, and medical history
- Extent of the disease
- Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
- Expectations for the course of the disease
- Your opinion or preference
The cause of the congestive heart failure will dictate the treatment protocol established. If the heart failure is caused by a valve disorder, surgery is usually performed. If the heart failure is caused by a disease, such as anemia, then the disease is treated. And, although there is no cure for heart failure due to a damaged heart muscle, many forms of treatment have proven to be successful.
The goal of treatment is to improve a person's quality of life by making the appropriate lifestyle changes and implementing drug therapy.
Treatment of congestive heart failure may include:
Controlling risk factors
- Losing weight (if overweight)
- Restricting salt and fat from the diet
- Stopping smoking
- Abstaining from alcohol
- Getting proper rest
Medication, such as:
- Digitalis – to increase heart contractions
- Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors – to decrease the pressure inside the blood vessels
- Diuretics – to reduce the amount of fluid in the body
- Vasodilators – to dilate the blood vessels
Heart transplantation
For information about heart transplantation, see:
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