There are two pumping chambers of the heart, the right ventricle and the left ventricle. The right ventricle pumps blood into the lungs to replenish oxygen in the blood. The freshly oxygenated blood from the lungs is then pumped out to the rest of the body by the left ventricle. When the right ventricle becomes weakened, blood backs up and causes swelling in the legs and abdomen. The most common cause of right-sided failure is left-sided failure, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Types
According to the American Heart Association, there are two types of heart failure -- also called congestive heart failure -- that affect the left ventricle. Systolic failure is one in which the left ventricle has been damaged extensively enough that it can no longer push blood adequately to supply the body's tissues. Diastolic failure occurs when the left ventricle is too stiff to relax normally and cannot fill adequately to have enough blood from the lungs to pump out to the rest of the body.
Causes
There are many different causes of left-sided heart failure. One of the most common, says MedlinePlus, is coronary artery disease, or plaque buildup in the blood vessels supplying the heart. Heart failure can be a result of an infection of the heart which can irreversibly damage the heart muscle. Other causes of heart failure include congenital heart disease, severe anemia, thyroid disease, disease of the valves in the heart, emphysema, chronic kidney disease and some heart rhythm disturbances. MayoClinic.com also states that diabetes and the diabetes medications rosiglitazone and pioglitazone are known to cause heart failure.
Symptoms
Left-sided heart failure causes fluid to back up in the lungs, causing shortness of breath, according to The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. Initially, the breathing discomfort occurs after physical exertion, but later occurs even at rest. People with left-sided heart failure feel weak and exhausted because muscles and tissues of the body are not receiving adequate blood.
Diagnosis
MedlinePlus says that often symptoms of shortness of breath and fatigue are enough to suggest a diagnosis of left-sided heart failure. Although a careful physical exam, blood work, electrocardiogram and chest X-rays can be useful in making the diagnosis of congestive heart failure, a definitive diagnosis is usually made with an echocardiogram, a test using sound waves to visualize the heart function, which also allows distinguishing left-sided from right-sided heart failure. Occasionally, a test using small catheters to inject X-ray dye into the vessels supplying the heart, called a heart or cardiac catheterization, is used to evaluate coronary artery disease.
Complications
People over the age of 65, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center, die most commonly from heart failure. Other complications include unintentional weight loss, decreased kidney function due to lack of blood supplying nutrients to the kidneys, and potentially life-threatening heart rhythm disturbances that put patients at an increased risk of heart attacks. Many patients with left-sided heart failure feel depressed, and depression in turn worsens the prognosis of heart failure.
Treatment
Treatment begins with lifestyle changes, according to MedlinePlus, including avoiding salt, staying active and maintaining a healthy weight. Several medications may be used to help the symptoms of heart failure, such the blood pressure medicines, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers and beta-blockers, as well as diuretics to help eliminate excess fluid and digoxin to help the heart muscle pump more efficiently. Pacemakers, including a special type called an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, may be placed into the chambers of the heart to help with heart rhythm disturbances.
