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Charlie Traffas
Charlie Traffas has been involved in marketing, media, publishing and insurance for more than 40 years. In addition to being a fully-licensed life, health, property and casualty agent, he is also President and Owner of Chart Marketing, Inc. (CMI). CMI operates and markets several different products and services that help B2B and B2C businesses throughout the country create customers...profitably. You may contact Charlie by phone at (316) 721-9200, by e-mail at ctraffas@chartmarketing.com, or you may visit at www.chartmarketing.com.
Health & Medicine
2008-08-01 09:35:00
What is congestive heart failure?
Answer: Congestive Heart Failure is an illness characterized by the heart’s inability to work effectively as a pump. Heart failure is not an event but rather an illness with many causes. Congestive heart failure is most commonly due to impairment of function of the left ventricle, the chamber which pumps blood to all parts of the body. This pumping chamber may be made ineffective by damage due to heart attacks, by valvular abnormalities, such as leaking valve or a valve that is tightly narrowed, and sometimes the damage may be related to the viral infections. Long standing untreated blood pressure, metabolic abnormalities and inherited causes are only part of a long list of problems that may lead to heart failure. In some patients, the cause of heart failure is not related to failure of the left ventricle or main pumping chamber but may be related to failure of the right ventricle, the chamber that pumps blood from the heart to the lungs. In this instance, underlying heart disease such as emphysema may be the cause. Patients with heart failure most often complain of shortness of breath usually made worse with exertion. Weakness, easy fatigue ability, swelling, and inability to lie flat in bed are associated symptoms. In more extreme cases, patients may complaint of waking up gasping of air after lying in bed for a while. None of these symptoms are diagnostic of heart failure and a good physical examination and obtaining chest films, and an echocardiogram help us to establish a diagnosis. Congestive heart failure is a serious illness and necessitates understanding what caused the heart to fail. Often, a heart catheterization study will also be necessary to enable us to devise the best treatment plan for the patient. Medications, such as Digitalis and diuretics are standard treatments but the addition of Ace-Inhibitor drugs, Beta-Blockers and most recently pacemakers that pace both ventricles of the heart, have improved the outlook for these patients greatly. There is no “cure” for most patients with heart failure, but occasionally patients with viral illnesses simply get better and replacing a heart valve when appropriate, may resolve in nearly normal heart function. Fortunately, the prognosis for the heart patients continues to improve. Anyone with symptoms of shortness of breath, easy fatigue ability or excessive swelling should seek medical attention early and aggressive evaluation and treatment provide the best chance for long term survival.
 
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