my father died from what i believe was undiagnosed chf. two weeks prior to his passing he had gone to the doctor with shortness of breath and fatigue. tests were run but not a stress test. that was 1988. we've come a long way. my father's death left me with this lingering question about heart failure what is it? symptoms causes etc. i finally wrote my own article as a way of learning. here is an excerpt from the intro: "the primary function of the heart is to pump oxygen rich blood out to the body and to return oxygen depleted blood to the lungs to be replenished. when it fails at this task serious consequences develop. blood backs up in the venous system pressure in this normally low pressure system rises and fluid from from the blood collects in the body’s tissues. " for the rest of the article- <link> cut and paste to browser if not highlighted.
what is congestive heart failure?