The American Heart Association (AHA) describes heart failure as a condition where the heart does not pump blood to supply the body's cells with the oxygen they need to function. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, in 2006, heart failure caused 282,754 deaths. Congestive heart failure is a subtype of heart failure where blood backs up in the veins and the lungs due to inefficient pumping of the heart. There are multiple characteristics of congestive heart failure, both regarding the structure of the heart and the symptoms it produces.
Structure of the Heart
In congestive heart failure, the heart does not pump blood adequately because the structure of the heart is deficient in some way. Usually, other disorders cause damage to the blood vessels and/or the heart structure, inducing heart failure. For example, Merck Manuals, an online medical library, reports that any condition that alters the heart's electrical conduction system can cause heart failure by causing irregularities in heartbeat. Bacterial or viral infections can cause myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), which inhibits the heart's ability to pump blood. Alterations of the valves that allow blood into and out of the heart may also cause heart failure. The heart can be damaged significantly during a heart attack, which is when the heart stops beating completely.
Lung Complications
According to the AHA, congestive heart failure can cause lung problems, leading to difficulty breathing. During heart failure, the heart cannot keep up with the blood that travels from the lungs to the heart, causing blood to become backed up. The excess blood in the pulmonary veins (the veins that bring the blood to the heart) causes fluid to leak into the air spaces of the lungs, resulting in difficulty breathing. Both the AHA and the Mayo Clinic report a person may also experience difficulty breathing while laying flat on his back, as this position lets fluid settle in the lungs. Also because of fluid in the lungs, congestive heart failure may cause coughing or wheezing. The person may cough up pink phlegm due to the blood in the lungs, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Other Symptoms
Heart failure may cause other symptoms as well. According to the AHA and the Mayo Clinic, these symptoms include: swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, or abdomen; rapid and/or irregular heart beat; fatigue and muscle weakness; lack of appetite or nausea, diminished ability to concentrate or remaining alert. All of these problems, according to the AHA, are due to the different organ systems not receiving enough blood. For example, muscles become weak because they are not receiving enough nutrition and oxygen. The appetite is diminished due to reduced blood supply, which upsets digestion.
