Christina Markevich
10/29/2015
Congestive Heart Failure
What is Congestive Heart Failure?
Congestive Heart Failure is something that occurs when the heart is no longer able to pump enough blood to the rest of the body, or when is just is not able to pump blood as well as it should. Some people happen to have either of these problems, some people have both.
What causes the heart to become weaker?
There is a number of causes, but most of all, the arteries may narrow in the heart. That is another disease known as Coronary Artery Disease. Another reason that a Congestive Heart Failure may occur is because of high blood pressure. Damaged heart valves, toxic exposure, such as alcohol, prolonged arrhythmias, and infections are all other causes
…show more content…
A person may be tired with doing daily activities such as shopping, climbing stairs, or simply just walking. This happens because the heart cannot pump enough blood to supply the tissues.
One of the biggest symptoms is an increased heart rate. This may feel like the heart is throbbing, or racing. This happens because the heart is trying to catch up to the pumping capacity, causing the heart to beat so much faster. When this happens, your body is most likely telling you that the condition has already worsened (Warning Signs of Heart Failure).
What is the treatment for Congestive Heart Failure?
There are certain medications to help treat a congestive heart failure. A few of the medications include ACE Inhibitors (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors). These help to open up arteries that have narrowed to allow better blood flow. If a patient cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors medication, vasodilators are also an option (Macon B.).
Beta-Blockers can help reduce the blood pressure and slow down the rhythm of the heart (Macon, B.).
Since a heart failure may cause the body to have more fluid than it should, diuretics may be used to reduce the fluid content in the