Congestive Heart Failure Treatment

Congestive heart failure (CHF), or heart failure, is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to the body's other organs. This can result from:

• Narrowed arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle — coronary artery disease
• Past heart attack, or myocardial infarction, with scar tissue that interferes with the heart muscle's normal work
• High blood pressure
• Heart valve disease due to past rheumatic fever or other causes
• Primary disease of the heart muscle itself, called cardiomyopathy
• Heart defects present at birth
• Infection of the heart valves and/or heart muscle itself

The "failing" heart keeps working but not as efficiently as it should. People with heart failure can't exert themselves because they become short of breath and tired.

How do you diagnose and treat heart failure?
Your NYM doctor is the best person to make the diagnosis. The most common signs of congestive heart failure are swollen legs or ankles or difficulty breathing. Another symptom is weight gain when fluid builds up.

CHF usually requires a treatment program of:

• Rest
• Proper diet
• Modified daily activities
• A combination of drugs

When a specific cause of congestive heart failure is discovered, it should be treated or, if possible, corrected. For example, some cases of congestive heart failure can be treated by treating high blood pressure. If the heart failure is caused by an abnormal heart valve, the valve can be surgically replaced. For some people, a heart device can reduce the risk sudden death. Learn more about cardiac resynchronization therapy,  pacemakers, and defibrillators. Or call 718.780.7830.

Revascularization surgery helps to restore blood flow to the heart. Surgery types include coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and angioplasty (also called percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI]). CABG is a traditional type of open heart surgery. Angioplasty uses a catheter to inflate a balloon inside the artery. A metal stent may also be inserted during an angioplasty procedure To learn more about surgical procedures for CHF, call 718.780.7700.