6 Million Americans Affected by Congestive Heart Failure - Essay Sample

Introduction

Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure, which occurs when the heart does not pump blood as it should. In the U.S. six million Americans are affected by congestive heart failure. Heart failure does not mean the heart stops working completely, but rather, it becomes less efficient. Different factors cause heart failure, and it leads to the slow movement of blood and increases pressure on the heart. Consequently, the body's needs are not met because the heart is not able to pump enough nutrients and oxygen. Certain conditions like blood pressure leave the heart too stiff or too weak to pump efficiently, leading to congestive heart failure. Heart failure is a collection of symptoms which lead to the weakening of the heart hence not able to meet the requirements of the body. The heart failure can occur on the right or the left side of a person's heart.

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Left-Sided Heart Failure

Left-sided heart failure is described as more of a process than a disease. Left-sided heart failure occurs when the left ventricle pumps more of the blood because it is bigger. Left-sided heart failure can either be diastolic or systolic(French, 2012). Systolic heart failure (reduced ejection fraction) occurs when the left ventricle is weak, and not strong enough to push enough blood. In systolic failure, the left ventricle cannot contract fully to ensure a normal supply of blood because the left ventricle is not able to fully contract. The left ventricle becomes thinner and weaker when it pumps harder in an attempt to compensate for the shortage.

Consequently, blood flows backward leading to the swelling some parts of the body or a buildup of fluids in the lungs. With time, this causes blood to build up in the lungs and the left atrium, leading to symptoms of heart failure and fluid congestion. Diastolic heart failure (preserved ejection fraction) occurs when the left ventricle is too stiff, it can't fill blood normally, and it can't relax. The left ventricle grows thick and stiff when diastolic heart failure occurs. It leads to a reduction of the blood being pumped into the body because the left chamber of the heart is not properly filled. Left-sided heart failure is usually caused by the disease of the coronary artery, long term blood pressure, or a heart attack. When the left-side weakens, the right side has to work more to compensate. The heart muscle then loses strength.

Signs and Symptoms

Left-sided heart failure goes initially unnoticed, but the symptoms become worse with time. The symptoms of the left-sided heart failure include amnesia, chronic wheezing, and coughing, fatigue, difficulty in concentration, Left-sided heart failure leads to build up of fluids in the lungs, which consequently leads to shortness of breath (Jepsen et al., 2014). Edema in the ankles and legs or feet will also be experienced by a patient due to fluid retention, nausea, lack of appetite, rapid or irregular heartbeat, and having difficulty in concentration.

Also, underlying health problems can lead to left-sided heart failure. The health conditions make the pump harder to causing further damages (Isner, 2014). Such as rapid heart rate, less flow of blood to the arms and legs, Hypertension, and an enlarged heart.

When classifying whether a patient has left-sided heart failure, the doctor can also look at a certain lifestyle. Other patients who use cocaine, heavy alcohol consumption, those who are obese, those who have high blood pressure, and coronary heart disease.

Risk Factors

Risk factors of left-sided heart disease are people from the age of 50-70, especially when they have experienced a heart attack initially. When there is a blood clot in the lungs, it can lead to left-sided heart failure. Gender shows from statistics that men are at a higher risk of developing left-sided heart failure. Certain viral infections can lead to the failure of the heart. Chronic diseases, HIV, Hypothyroidism, and a buildup of protein or ion can lead to failure of the left side of the heart. Pericardial constriction where a sac covers the heart leads to a tightening of the heart muscle leading to the left-side failure of the heart..

To reduce and reverse some of the symptoms of the left-side heart failure, one needs to change their lifestyle and eat diets with less sugar and salt and maintain a weight which is healthy. Sometimes, when the left-side heart failure is life-threatening, a person can require a heart transplant or a heart device to be placed so that it can help with the repair. Medications can help in the reduction of fluid retention, reduce blood pressure, and even lower cholesterol.

Right-Sided Heart Failure

A normal acting heart will pump nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body, through the lungs to the rest of the body parts. The left side of the heart, the left ventricle, provides most of the power used in pumping ingredients and other nutrients to the body (Brewis, 2016). The right chamber or the right ventricle; on the other hand, moves used blood from the heart to lungs so that it can be re-supplied with oxygen. When right-sided heart failure occurs, it is because the right chamber in the heart has lost the ability to pump. It also implies that the heart can't be filled with enough food, and the blood backs up into the veins. When this occurs, the belly, ankles, and legs often swell.

The right-sided heart failure can be caused by the left-sided heart failure. When the left-chamber has lost the ability to pump, the blood backs up, sometimes even to the lungs. Before heart failure occurs, there are mostly underlying conditions which eventually lead to heart failure. In many cases, it occurs because people have underlying conditions which lead to the failure of the heart. Other causes of the right-sided heart failure include high blood pressure; when the pressure of the blood is high, the heart works hard to pump the blood (Sutton & Wiegers, 2011). With time, the muscles can weaken and thicken because of the extra work they do. Right-sided heart failure is also caused by coronary artery disease. This disease blocks the arteries leading to slow blood flow to the heart. This leads to slow blood flow to the heart, which sometimes can even stop.

Congenital heart defects are the other cause of heart failure. Some people are born with a defect in their heart, and this increases the chances of one getting heart failure. Damaged heart valves can also lead to heart failure. Valves help in keeping the blood flowing in the right direction; if the valves are damaged, the heart will have to work harder, eventually becoming weak. Valves can be damaged either by infection or even a defect of the heart. Heart failure is also caused by Arrhythmia, where there is an irregular heartbeat. The heart can beat faster than normal or too slow, and sometimes in a way that is not normal.

In many cases, it is not harmful unless it leads to the pumping of insufficient blood through the body. If these conditions are not treated, it will lead to the weakening of the heart over time. Finally, heart failure can also be caused by lung problems. This usually leads to failure or enlargement of the right side of the heart. Other conditions can also lead to right-side failure of the heart. They include diabetes, thyroid problems, and HIV. They sometimes lead to right-hand side failure of the heart.

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of the right-sided heart failure include edema where the feet and ankles swell. This occurs because blood is backing up in the veins. The abdomen can be distended because blood also backs up in the liver and the stomach. One also goes to the bathroom more often than required, especially at night due to the buildup. When the heart failure worsens, one may experience swollen neck veins, difficulty breathing, hurting chest, loss of appetite, feeling of tiredness, skin becomes sweaty and cold and confusion and forgetfulness.

Right-sided heart failure has no treatment, but the symptoms can be managed to make a patient more comfortable. Medications can be administered by the doctor, or sometimes surgery can be done. The doctor may also suggest a change in lifestyle to reduce the stress on the heart; this includes losing weight, having a healthy diet, exercising, one to stop smoking, and having enough rest (Isner, 2014).

Conclusion

Heart failure occurs over time, but with the necessary change in lifestyle and medication to manage heart failure, one will start living a healthy life. The key to preventing the failure of the heart is to reduce the risk factors.

References

Brewis, M. J., Bellofiore, A., Vanderpool, R. R., Chesler, N. C., Johnson, M. K., Naeije, R., &

Peacock, A. J. (2016). Imaging Right Ventricular Function to Predict Outcome in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. International Journal Of Cardiology, 218, 206-211.Retrieved from:https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=I9IhBAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=right+sided-heart+failure&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiB0-et3tviAhUADmMBHXXLA04Q6AEINTAC#v=onepage&q=right%20sided-heart%20failure&f=false

French, J. (2012). Medical-surgical Nursing Made Incredibly Easy. Lippincott Williams &

Wilkins. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=WgoKJ5rYQ_UC&pg=RA6-PA304&dq=left+sided+heart+failure-signs+and+symptoms&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiqtofh3NviAhU4A2MBHZiuCY8Q6AEIPTAE#v=onepage&q=left%20sided%20heart%20failure-signs%20and%20symptoms&f=false

Isner, J. M. (1988). Right Ventricular Myocardial Infarction. In The Right Ventricle (pp. 87-129).

Springer, Boston, MA. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=kEkyBwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=left+sided+heart+failure-signs+and+symptoms&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjB3sPe3NviAhWMGBQKHVugD-AQ6AEIKzAA#v=onepage&q=left%20sided%20heart%20failure-signs%20and%20symptoms&f=false

Jepsen, P., Johnsen, S. P., Gillman, M. W., & Sorensen, H. T. (2014). Interpretation of

Observational studies. Heart, 90(8), 956-960. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=PcARTQwHLpIC&pg=PA447&dq=left+sided+heart+failure-signs+and+symptoms&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjB3sPe3NviAhWMGBQKHVugD-AQ6AEIVTAI#v=onepage&q=left%20sided%20heart%20failure-signs%20and%20symptoms&f=false

Sutton, M. S. J., & Wiegers, S. E. (2011). Echocardiography in Heart Failure-E-BOOK.

Elsevier Health Sciences. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=jrjHEM8c7_cC&printsec=frontcover&dq=right+sided-heart+failure&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiB0-et3tviAhUADmMBHXXLA04Q6AEIOjAD#v=onepage&q=right%20sided-heart%20failure&f=false