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Heart failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to keep up with the body's needs. What can happen when heart failure gets worse, or is 'exacerbated', is that the blood 'backs up' in other parts of the body such as the legs, lungs, and elsewhere. This is known as congestion. The heart has a left and a right side that are together are responsible for pumping blood to the body. Heart failure can be cause by the left side, the right side, or both sides.
When the left side of the heart is not pumping enough blood the blood gets backed up in the areas around the lungs. This can cause shortness of breath, even when at rest.
When the right side of the heart is not it can cause blood to back up in the rest of the body, especially in the legs. The swelling is also known as 'edema'.
There are many different other kinds of heart failure, or ways for the heart to not work properly, however this blog is focused on CHF.
When the left side of the heart is not pumping enough blood the blood gets backed up in the areas around the lungs. This can cause shortness of breath, even when at rest.
When the right side of the heart is not it can cause blood to back up in the rest of the body, especially in the legs. The swelling is also known as 'edema'.
There are many different other kinds of heart failure, or ways for the heart to not work properly, however this blog is focused on CHF.
Here is a short video illustrating CHF: