Monday, November 7, 2011

CHF

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE

Brief Description

Congestive heart failure is a condition that occurs when the heart is unable pump a sufficient amount of blood to meet the needs of the body's tissues.

Causative Factors


  • Smoking
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Excessive sodium intake
  • Coronary Artery Disease
  • Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
  • Diabetes
  • Cardiomyopathies
  • Alcoholism
  • Emphysema
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Thiamine deficiency

Symptoms


  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Wheezing
  • Coughing when lying down
  • Water retention
  • Liver enlargement
  • Appetite Loss

Prevention

Prevention of heart failure involves slowing the progression of diseases that damage the heart such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, and diabetes. A lifestyle that will promote congestive heart failure prevention will include exercise, a diet low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and salt and, at the same time, avoid smoking, alcohol abuse, obesity, and excessive mental stress. In patients with minor damage to the left side of heart, early intervention with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors is may prevent the progression to congestive heart failure.


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