What happens to people with congestive heart failure? Can you recover from sucha disease?

Answer 1

Congestive heart failure occurs when the main pumping chambers of the heart (called ventricles) no longer function well enough to pump blood efficiently round the body.

This can be due to a number of causes, muscle damage caused by a heart attack, infection, faulty heart valve, prolonged uncontrolled high blood pressure, birth defect, irregular heart beat.

Because the heart cannot pump the blood properly round the body there can be congestion in the blood vessels causing fluid to leak out into the surrounding tissues. This can manifest itself as swollen ankles or fluid in the lungs. Symptoms also include shortness of breath and feeling tired.

The body trys to compensate by increasing heart rate and contracting blood vessels to increase blood pressure and improve oxygenation. While this is effective in the early stages of the disease it can lead to further damage later on because the heart has to work much harder to pump blood around the contrsticted vessels.

Fortunately in mild to moderate cases there are a number of drug treatments available which combined with the correct dietry and lifestyle changes can lead to a good quality of life and control the condition preventing further deterioation.

e.g (these are only examples, your doctor will prescribe the best treatment for your condition)

Furosemide is a commonly used diuretic which is used to remove excess fluid from the body, relieving fluid build up in the tissues and lowering the amount of work the heart has to do.

Digoxin can improve the efficiency with which the heart contracts and control irregular hear rhythms.

Lisonipril is a commonly used ACE inhibitor which dilates blood vessels decreasing the resistance against which the heart has to pump.

If the disease is not too severe and the underlying cause is fixable, e.g. faulty valve then surgery may be an option. Once the valve is replaced then the load on the heart decreases and the conditon improves.

The main thing is that this condition can be controlled effectively with drugs and many people live for quite a long time after initial diagnosis.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

It makes you very weak and tired, because your heart is not pumping blood efficiently. You get short of breath. There are some causes of the condition that are reversible, so you can recover. In its milder forms, it can be treated. But if it is heart disease itself that causes the failure, then it is usually not something you recover from without surgery. With proper treatment you may live a better life, but you will always have to be careful. In its most advanced stages, it can be fatal, because the blood circulation is so poor the brain and other organs are starved of oxygen and begin to shut down. A heart transplant is the most drastic treatment for this condition.

Answer 4

I have hereditary Cardiomyopathy. I'm on Enalapril and take Coreg twice a day. I was originally diagnosed at 22 with an Ejection Fraction of 25 (55 is normal) which means I had heart failure, pretty bad heart failure at that. I raised my Ejection Fraction to near normal through exercise and medication in just one year. I still run 2 miles a day and lift weights every day of the week except Sunday. Heart Failure doesn't mean your heart is going to stop, it just means it doesn't function as well as it should. It changes your life, it doesn't end it. Make sure you give him his meds on time every day. I'd also switch him to a raw diet because dog food DOES contain salt which will make him retain water. Also limiting the amount he drinks can help should he start retaining too much fluid. I'd ask my vet about digoxin and coreg and if they're given to dogs.

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Answer 5

Congestive heart failure this subject hits very close to home my grandfather is ill with this as we speak. As far as the doctors say there is no cure. But I know this healer that can fix anything.

Answer 6

yes you can some cases need surgery my grandma just had surgery for congestive heart failure and she is doing great!

Answer 7

I'm a nurse. Unfortunately the damage is already done. However you can take steps to keep your body healthy from now on. Eat right, exercise, and keep all your doctors appointments. I wish you all the best. My mom has CHF and she has had it for over thirty years without eating right, go figure.

Answer 8

A friend of mine got it at the age of 35, there is no cure for the disease and it is very bad disease to deal with.

Answer 9

Heart transplant only