Symptoms of the Final Stages of Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure is a condition when the heart is not able to pump adequate blood throughout the body. Due to the blood circulation working at a much slower speed, the pressure increases in the heart and causes it not to be able to produce enough oxygen or nutrients for the body. Resulting from the lack of ingredients in order for the body to properly function, other organs respond in order to compensate, which can result in adverse affects if not treated and managed in a timely fashion. Every year, over 500,000 individuals are diagnosed with heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), and it is the number-one reason of people over 65 who are hospitalized.

Causes

• Several factors may lead to congestive heart failure including diseases that have inflicted permanent damage on the heart by weakening and/or stiffening the heart muscles, as well as elevating the oxygen level required by the body to a limit not able to be obtained.

Diseases

• Hemochromatosis (a genetic disorder that causes too much iron to build up) and amyloidosis (diseases caused from a certain protein that accumulates in different body tissues) may lead to the heart muscles stiffening, impairing the ability of the heart to pump correctly. Coronary heart disease significantly reduces blood circulation to the heart, therefore weakening the heart by not allowing adequate oxygen and nutrients to reach the heart.

  When there is a blockage of the arteries, a heart attack takes place, leaving the heart much weakened after the incident. Cardiomyopathy is when infections, alcohol or drug abuse damage the heart and weakens it. Diseases that cause the heart to exert itself to meet the unreachable demands of the body include diabetes, high blood pressure, valve disease (heart valves function improperly), thyroid disease, kidney disease or heart defects.

Symptoms

• The Mayo Clinic lists the different signs and symptoms that may mean heart failure including fatigue, weakness, rapid and/or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, continual cough with a white or pink phlegm, swelling of the legs, ankles, feet and abdomen, abrupt weight gain, nausea, and trouble with concentrating. It is important to seek a doctor if you exhibit some of these symptoms. In some cases, congestive heart failure might not show many signs at all.

Final Stages

• When a person experiences shortness of breath, persistent chest pain, swelling in the leg or both legs that occurs quickly and increasingly declines in state, calls for immediate medical attention. The final stages of congestive heart failure often entail the lungs filling up with fluid, causing the person to essentially drown.

Treatment

• Congestive heart failure will affect a person for the rest of his life. Treatments, depending on the severity of the damaged heart, include making changes in lifestyle, surgery, medications, mechanical therapies and heart transplant.