The heart is a pump that works together with the lungs. It pumps blood in 2 ways.
- It pumps blood from the heart to the lungs to pick up oxygen. The oxygenated blood returns to the heart.
- It then pumps blood out into the circulatory system of blood vessels that carry blood through the body.
The heart consists of 4 chambers.
- The upper chambers are called atria, and the lower chambers are called ventricles.
- The right atrium and ventricle receive blood from the body through the veins and then pump the blood to the lungs.
- The left atrium and ventricle receive blood back from the lungs and pump it out the aorta into the arteries, feeding all organs and tissues of the body.
- Because the left ventricle has to pump blood through the entire body, it is a stronger pump than the right ventricle.
Heart failure sounds frightening because it sounds like the heart just stops working. Do not be discouraged by the term heart failure the heart has not stopped beating or pumping. Heart failure means the tissues of the body are temporarily not receiving enough blood and oxygen. With advancements in diagnosis and therapy for heart failure, patients are feeling better and living longer.
- Although heart failure is a serious medical condition, the heart does not just stop abruptly.
- Heart failure may develop gradually over several years, or move quickly after a heart attack or a disease of the heart muscle.
Heart failure is an illness in which the pumping action of the heart becomes less and less powerful. That is, the heart does not pump blood as well as it should. When this happens, blood does not move efficiently through the circulatory system and starts to back up, increasing the pressure in the blood vessels and forcing fluid from the blood vessels into body tissues.
- When the left side of the heart starts to fail, fluid collects in the lungs (pulmonary edema). This extra fluid in the lungs (congestion) makes it more difficult for the airways to expand as you inhale. Breathing becomes more difficult, and you may feel short of breath, particularly with activity or lying down.
- When the right side of the heart starts to fail, fluid collects in the feet and lower legs. As the heart failure becomes worse, the upper legs swell and eventually the abdomen collects fluid (ascites). Weight gain accompanies the fluid retention and is an excellent measure of how much fluid is being retained. Puffy swelling (edema) is a sign of right heart failure, especially if the edema is pitting edema. With pitting edema, a finger pressed on the swollen leg leaves a finger imprint. Non pitting edema is not caused by heart failure.
The above information thankfully comes from the emedicinehealth.com at the following link.
