Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart is unable to adequately pump blood throughout the body. The heart may not be able to
fill with enough blood or may not be able to send the blood throughout the body with enough force. Heart failure usually develops over a long period of
time as the heart grows weaker. Wear and tear on the heart may cause this weakening of the heart muscle. There are many factors that increase the wear
and tear on the heart muscle.

Common factors that may cause congestive heart failure include:

• Smoking

• Overweight and Obesity

• Eating a diet high in certain fats and cholesterol

• Physical Inactivity

• High blood pressure

• Diabetes

• Coronary Heart Disease

The weakening of the heart’s pumping ability may cause blood and fluid to back up into the lungs and lead to a buildup of fluid in the feet, ankles and
legs. It is also common to experience tiredness and shortness of breath with CHF. 

Treatment for CHF focuses on treating the underlying cause of heart failure; this includes making lifestyle changes, taking medication and perhaps
heart transplantation if all other treatments fail. If you have CHF, discuss your symptoms and treatment plan with your doctor.

Viverae is a national provider of corporate health management and wellness solutions.  We work with employees to educate them on the importance of
following their physicians treatment plan to better self manage chronic conditions like congestive heart failure.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

2012-11-11 02:20:35

Source: http://viverae.com/blog/201106/congestive-heart-failure