Congestive Heart Failure: Most Common Types and Treatment

What is it?

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic progressive disease that affects the pumping power of the heart muscles.

Although often referred to simply as “heart failure,” CHF refers to the stage in which fluid builds up around the heart and makes pumping inefficient.

The heart presents four cameras. The upper half of your heart has two atria, and the lower half has two ventricles. The ventricles pump blood to the organs and tissues of your body, and the atria receive blood from your body as it flows back from the rest of your body.

CCI develops when your ventricles can not pump blood in sufficient volume to the body. Finally, blood and other fluids can be supported within your:

  • Abdomen
  • Liver
  • Lower body

The ICC can endanger your life. If you suspect that you or someone close to you is suffering from CHF, seek immediate medical treatment.

What are the most common types of Congestive Heart Failure?

Congestive Heart Failure on the left side is the most common type. It occurs when your left ventricle does not correctly pump blood to your body. As the condition progresses, fluid can accumulate in the lungs, making breathing difficult.

 

There are two types of left heart failure:

  • Systolic heart failure occurs when the left ventricle does not contract normally. This reduces the level of force available to push the blood into circulation. Without this force, the heart can not pump properly.
  • Diastolic insufficiency, or diastolic dysfunction, occurs when the left ventricular muscle becomes rigid. Because he can no longer relax, the heart can not fill with blood between the heartbeats.

Right CHF occurs when the right ventricle has difficulty pumping blood to the lungs. The blood backs up into the blood vessels, which causes fluid retention in the lower extremities, abdomen, and other vital organs.

It is possible to have ICC on the left and the right side simultaneously. Usually, the disease begins on the left side and then travels to the right side when it is not treated timely.

How is Congestive Heart Failure treated?

You and your doctor can consider different treatments for Congestive Heart Failure depending on your overall health and to what extent your condition has progressed.

Medications for congestive heart failure

Several medications can be used to treat CHF, including:

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors open narrowed blood vessels to improve blood flow. Vasodilators are another option if you can not tolerate the inhibitors previously named.

You may be prescribed any of the following:

  • Benazepril (Lotensin)
  • Captopril (Capoten)
  • Enalapril (Vasotec)
  • Fosinopril (Monopril)
  • Lisinopril (Zestril)
  • Guinapril (Accupril)
  • Ramipril (Altace)
  • Moexipril (Univasc)
  • Perindopril (Aceon)
  • Trandolapril (Mavik)

These inhibitors should be taken with the following medications, as they can cause adverse reactions in the following way:

  • Thiazide diuretics can cause an additional decrease in blood pressure.
  • Potassium-sparing diuretics, such as triamterene (Dyrenium), eplerenone (Inspra), and spironolactone (Aldactone), can cause an accumulation of potassium in the blood. This can lead to abnormal heart rhythms.
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen, can cause sodium and water retention. This can reduce the effect of the inhibitors described on blood pressure.

This is an abbreviated list, but you should not assume that something is not safe to take because it is not on the list. It would help if you always talked to your doctor before taking any new medication.

Beta-blockers can lower blood pressure and slow heart rate.

This can be achieved with:

  • Acebutolol (Sectral)
  • Atenolol (Tenormin)
  • Bisoprolol (Zebeta)
  • Carteolol (Cartrol)
  • Esmolol (Brevibloc)
  • Metoprolol (Lopressor)
  • Nadolol (Corgard)
  • Nebivolol (Bystolic)
  • Propranolol (Inderal LA)

Blockers should not be taken with the following medications, as they can cause an adverse reaction:

  • Antiarrhythmic medications, such as amiodarone (Nexterone), may increase cardiovascular effects, including reduced blood pressure and decreased heart rate.
  • Antihypertensive drugs, such as Lisinopril (Zestril), Candesartan (Atacand), and Amlodipine (Norvasc), may also increase the likelihood of cardiovascular effects.

Beta-blockers can amplify the effects of bronchodilation with Albuterol (AccuNeb):

  • Fentora (Fentanyl) can cause low blood pressure.
  • Antipsychotics, such as thioridazine (Mellaril), can also cause low blood pressure.
  • Clonidine can cause high blood pressure.

Some essential medications may not be listed here. So remember that you should always consult your doctor before taking any medication.

Diuretics reduce the liquid content of your body. CCI can cause your body to retain more fluid than it should.

Your doctor can recommend:

  • Thiazide diuretics, cause blood vessels to widen and help the body eliminate any extra fluid. Examples include Metolazone (Zaroxolyn), Indapamide (Lozol) and Hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide).
  • Loop diuretics cause the kidneys to produce more urine. This helps eliminate excess fluid from your body. Examples include Furosemide (Lasix), Etacrinic acid (Edecrin), and Torsemide (Demadex).
  • Potassium-sparing diuretics help get rid of fluids and sodium while still retaining potassium. Examples include Triamterene (Dyrenium), Eplerenone (Inspra), and Spironolactone (Aldactone).

Diuretics should not be taken with the following medications, as they can cause an adverse reaction:

  • The inhibitors named above, such as Lisinopril (Zestril), Benazepril (Lotensin), and Captopril (Capoten), can cause a decrease in blood pressure.
  • Tricyclics, such as Amitriptyline and Desipramine (Norpramin), can cause low blood pressure.
  • Anxiolytics, such as Alprazolam (Xanax), Chlordiazepoxide (Librium), and Diazepam (Valium), can cause low blood pressure.
  • Hypnotics, such as Zolpidem (Ambien) and Triazolam (Halcion), can cause low blood pressure.
  • Beta-blockers, such as Acebutolol (Sectral) and atenolol (Tenormin), can cause low blood pressure.
  • Calcium channel blockers, such as Amlodipine (Norvasc) and Diltiazem (Cardizem), can cause a decrease in blood pressure.
  • Nitrates, such as Nitroglycerin (Nitrostat) and Isosorbide Dinitrate (Isordil), can cause low blood pressure.

This was an abbreviated list that contained only the most common drug interactions.

We emphasize that you. As a patient, you should always talk to your doctor before taking any new medication.