Heart Failure

Heart Failure happens to be a long-term condition wherein the heart is unable to pump blood enough to cater to the body’s needs all the time. The treatment for this condition involves exercise as well as medication initially and, thereafter, surgical procedures if the condition gets worse. Although ‘Heart Failure’, the name might suggest that the heart has stopped functioning completely, in reality, it means that the organ is not able to pump blood as well as it is meant to. Since the heart has less pumping power, organs may get damaged, leading to fluid collection in the lungs.

Also called congestive heart failure, it is a state where the heart is not able to handle the volume of blood, which in turn causes accumulation in the other parts of the body, mainly the lungs and the lower extremities.

There are four predominant stages of heart failure: A, B, C, and D. Where Stage A is considered a pre-heart failure due to a family history or the person having one or more conditions like hypertension, diabetes, etc., and Stage B, where the healthcare provider has administered systolic left ventricular dysfunction but the patient hasn’t had a symptom of heart failure. Stage C is where the diagnosis is that of heart failure and the person having it currently has or previously had the symptoms pertaining to the condition. Stage D is the phase when the person having it doesn’t get any better with treatment and is generally regarded as the final stage of heart failure.

As far as symptoms of heart failure are concerned, they may be mild or not present at all, or for that matter, some major ones.