Heart Failure
Heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped working.
Rather, it means that the heart's pumping power is weaker than normal. With
heart failure, blood moves through the heart and body at a slower rate, and
pressure in the heart increases. As a result, the heart cannot pump enough
oxygen and nutrients to meet the body's needs. The chambers of the heart may
respond by stretching to hold more blood to pump through the body or by
becoming stiff and thickened. This helps to keep the blood moving, but the heart
muscle walls may eventually weaken and become unable to pump as efficiently. As
a result, the kidneys may respond by causing the body to retain fluid (water)
and salt. If fluid builds up in the arms, legs, ankles, feet, lungs, or other
organs, the body becomes congested, and congestive heart failure is the term
used to describe the condition.
No comments:
Post a Comment