Heart Failure

Introduction

The heart, as we all know, beats ceaselessly. Have you ever wondered what would occur if a component of the circulatory system stopped working correctly? What would be the consequences? In most cases, heart failure.

There are numerous causes of heart failure. It might be that your heart is not powerful enough to pump out as much blood as your body requires, or sometimes, the heart grows in size, as it strives to transport more blood. Increased need for blood might cause blood vessels to thin in order to supply more blood out to your body.

Defining Heart Failure

Heart failure occurs when the heart does not pump as efficiently and effectively. Heart failure, in which blood flow stops altogether due to failure of the heart to pump efficiently, is not the same as a heart attack in which a portion of the heart muscle dies owing to a clot in the capillaries heart’s blood. It is also not the same as cardiac arrest, in which the muscle tissue dies due to a clot in the capillaries supplying the heart. Although the names are commonly used interchangeably, there is a clear difference between the three.

Obesity, kidney failure, liver difficulties, anaemia, and thyroid disease are all disorders that can cause symptoms similar to heart failure. In order to diagnose heart failure, symptoms, physical observations, and echocardiography are used. Blood testing, electrocardiogram, etc. may be used in order to derive its root cause.

Mechanism of Heart failure

If we go by heart failure definition, heart failure is a phrase used to describe a heart that is unable to keep up with its work, resulting in a shortage of oxygen supply to the body. Heart failure is a long-term disorder in which the cardiac muscle is unable to pump sufficient blood to fulfil the body’s requirements for blood and oxygen. The heart, in short, becomes incapable of catching up with its burden.

The heart tries to compensate for its inability in a number of ways; 

• By expanding- The heart expands in order to contract more forcefully and keep up with the need for more blood to be pumped. As a result, the heart becomes enlarged over time
• Increasing muscle mass- The heart’s beating cells get larger, resulting in an increase in muscle mass. This allows the heart to pump extra forcefully, at least, at first
• Increasing pumping speed- This aids in increasing the output of the heart

Causes of Heart Failure

Coronary artery disease (CAD), a disease that makes constriction of the arteries that deliver blood and oxygen to the heart, is the most prevalent cause of heart failure.

Other conditions that can raise one’s chances of getting heart failure are:

• Cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle ailment that causes the heart to weaken;
• Fatal heart disease;
• Heart attack;
• Heart valve disease;
• High blood pressure;
• Emphysema-a kind of lung illness;
• Diabetes;
• An overactive or underactive thyroid gland;
• HIV;
• Severe kinds of anaemia;
• Cancer therapies like chemotherapy; and
• Substance or alcohol abuse

Heart Failure Classification

Based on the side effects, heart failure can strike the left or right side of the heart. It’s also conceivable for a heart to fail on both chambers simultaneously. 

Diastolic and systolic heart failure are also another classification of heart failure.

Heart Failure on the Left Side

• The most common type of heart failure nowadays is left-sided heart failure
• The left heart ventricle is in the lower-left corner of your heart. This area is accountable for supplying oxygen-rich blood to the entire body
• When the left ventricle fails to pump effectively, it causes left-sided heart failure. The body does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood as a result of this. Instead, blood backs up into the lungs, causing breathlessness and fluid accumulation
• Left-sided heart failure is the most common cause. Left-sided heart failure causes blood to accumulate in the lungs, making the right ventricle work harder. This can put too much strain on the right side of the heart, causing it to fail

Heart Failure on the Right Side

• The right cardiac ventricle is in charge of pumping blood into the lungs so that oxygen can be collected. When the right side of the heart can’t do its job correctly, it’s called right-sided heart failure
• Other disorders, such as pulmonary illness, can also cause right-sided heart failure. Inflammation of the lower limbs is a sign of right-sided heart failure, with fluid accumulation in the legs, feet, and abdomen causing this swelling

Diastolic Heart Failure (DHF)

• It is a type of heart failure that occurs when the heart muscle becomes tighter than normal. Because of rigidity, which is generally caused by heart disease, your heart struggles to pump with blood. Diastolic dysfunction is the medical term for this. It causes reduced blood circulation to the rest of your internal tissues
• Females are more likely than males to suffer from diastolic heart failure

Systolic Heart Failure (SHF)

• When the heart muscle lacks its capacity to contract, this is known as systolic heart failure. This heart impulse is required to pump oxygen-rich blood out to the body. When this condition occurs, it is known as systolic dysfunction. It usually occurs when the heart has become feeble and large
• Males are more likely than females to develop systolic heart failure

 Note-Diastolic and systolic heart failure can occur on either side of the heart.

Conclusion

Heart failure refers to the heart’s failure to meet the demands placed on it, notably the inability of the heart to pump blood efficiently. Heart failure can be divided into four categories:

• Left-sided heart failure
• Right-sided heart failure
• Systolic heart failure
• Diastolic heart failure

Heart failure is typically a chronic illness requiring continual therapy to avoid consequences. Chronic heart failure can cause the heart to deteriorate to the point where it becomes an existential issue. Because heart failure is usually a long-term condition, problems will worsen