Heart failure is a progressive disorder in which damage to the heart weakens it over time. It progresses from injury or other conditions such as heart disease rendering the heart from performing its bodily function. It can manifest through inadequate blood flow or fluid congestion and progresses as this occurs on a steady basis. Heart failure may result from many causes and must be monitored as the heart is an essential organ to the healthy functioning of your body. The heart affects the entire body as it is the sole provider of blood flow throughout the entire body. Heart failure can cause organ damage and nerve damage from its improper functioning and can cause a number of other problems.

Heart failure is a serious condition. There are many symptoms of heart failure that can be recognized by your doctor. Other conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and vascular disease, including a number of other conditions can cause heart failure to become even more of a problem. Heart failure often affects the body’s blood flow and fluid builds up causing congestion. By the reduction in the body’s blood flow it is one of the hardest signs to pick up. Some organs and tissues may not even receive the right amount of oxygen it needs during rest. This can lead to fatigue and dizziness caused by low blood pressure. Fluid congestion is another sign apparent with heart failure. If the heart is not doing its job right by pumping the required blood and oxygen the body needs, the body will try and compensate for it by releasing hormones and signaling nerves to increase blood flow. A drop in blood pressure to the kidneys can lead to fluid retention and cause a blockage, allowing salt water into the lungs and other bodily tissue. Not all swelling is due to fluid retention and this is important to know.

The heart can fail on either the right or left side, and in consequence can cause other parts of the heart to fail. If the left side of the heart fails this leads to circulation problems. The left side is important because without this side functioning, fluid buildup in the lungs occurs. If the right side fails this cuts off the flow needed for pulmonary circulation. Without this working it can cause edema and swelling. As a result of either of these failing it can lead to forward heart failure, backward heart failure, and congestive heart failure. Forward heart failure is the heart’s inability to meets the body’s needs of oxygen by its inefficiency to pump fast enough. Backward heart failure is what the heart does to pump blood at a sufficient rate only when pressure is abnormally high. Congestive heart failure is further caused by fluid in the lungs when the heart isn’t pumping enough blood and the venous pressures are too severe as the heart fills.

Each of these types of heart failure is a serious issue and must be monitored carefully. In order to prevent such occurrences from happening, it is extremely important to know the signs.