Congestive heart failure is a serious condition that develops gradually over time. Congestive heart failure is when the heart doesn’t pump efficiently, causing fluid to build up in your lungs, ankles, feet, arms, and/or around other organs.
Congestive heart failure is a type of heart failure that requires timely medical assistance to ensure positive patient outcome. During congestive heart failure, the heart slows the flow of blood, causing it to back up in the veins and create congestion in the tissue. This congestion leads to swelling around the arms, legs, and organs.
Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there are different variations of heart failure. Congestive heart failure doesn’t necessarily mean your heart is failing, but early detection and recognizing risk factors can determine your prognosis and life expectancy. Nearly 6 million Americans have heart failure. It is the leading cause of hospitalization in people 65 and older.
“Heart failure is the #1 diagnosis of discharge for hospital patients. There are many different types of heart failure, and there is no correlation between your risk of dying and the progression of your disease and how you feel. A large reason why so many die from heart failure is because most patients don’t know they have it, or they mistake or ignore their symptoms and delay seeking care. This is especially true in women. The number of women who die from heart failure is tenfold that of breast cancer.
The American College of Cardiology classifies heart failure into four stages based on severity and symptoms. 50% of patients in Stage 3 will die in 5 years. Patients in Stage 4 have a 15-20% rehospitalization rate with less than 1% chance of living past one year. It’s not a question of if you’ll be readmitted to the hospital- it’s when. These statistics are truly alarming, but though it has a higher death rate than cancer, it doesn’t get the same attention. This is why patient awareness and understanding of their diagnosis is crucial.”
David Feldman, MD, FACC
Cardiologist, Mount St. Mary’s Cardiac Center
There is no cure for heart failure, and treatment depends on the stage of heart failure you are in. The New York Heart Association Classification groups heart failure stages into four categories:
Patients in Class I may only need medications and cardiac rehabilitation, whereas Class IV treatment may involve heart transplant surgery, palliative or hospice care when all other treatments fail. Early diagnosis is critical to preventing heart failure from progressing, and improving your quality of life.
There are many conditions and risk factors that can damage the heart and cause heart failure. The most common include:
Your physician will perform a physical examination to look for signs of congestive heart failure. They may also order the following tests and procedures to diagnose congestive heart failure:
A heart failure diagnosis can be emotional and cause feelings of depression and stress. It’s important to remember that with the right care and treatment, people are still able to live with the condition and do the things they enjoy. Monitoring your symptoms, checking in regularly with your physician, following the recommended treatment plan and staying positive can help.
Our award winning cardiac care team offers the latest advancements in treatment and therapies. We are proud to be a regional leader in cardiac care, and nationally recognized for cardiac surgery. We are the first center in WNY to have performed cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) implant surgery, a device-based therapy for patients with heart failure.
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