Congestive Heart Failure

Types of Congestive Heart Failures

First we need to know the functioning of the heart in order to understand the types of congestive heart failure. The heart has four chambers, the upper two Atria and lower two Ventricles. The right atrium receives blood from various parts of the body through veins, which in turn is emptied into right ventricle. The right ventricle in turn pumps the blood to lungs wherein the carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and empties it into the left ventricle. The left ventricle in turn pumps this oxygenated blood to various parts and organs in the body through the aorta and arteries. (6) The various types of congestive heart failure are:

1. Systolic Heart Failure: In this type, the heart’s ability to contract decreases leading to backing up of blood coming from the lungs causing the fluid to leak into the lungs. This condition is called pulmonary congestion.

2. Diastolic Heart Failure: In this type, the heart cannot relax properly due to stiffening of the heart’s muscle leading to improper filling of the heart with blood. This condition may lead to fluid accumulation in the feet, ankles, legs and sometimes the lungs. (7)

3. Right-sided heart failure: The failure of the pumping action of the right side of the heart causes swelling in the legs and abdomen.

4. Left-sided heart failure: In this type, the left side of the heart fails in its pumping action causing congestion in the lungs.

5. Forward heart failure: Inability of the heart to pump sufficient blood to meet the oxygen needs of the body during an exercise or rest leads to forward heart failure.

6. Backward heart failure: It is the inability of the heart to meet the oxygen needs when heart pressures are very high.

7. High output heart failure: Though the heart pumps out the usual amount of blood, the body’s needs may not be fulfilled (8).

Article by Kona Vishnu, MS
Medical Writer,
OmniMedicalSearch.com

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