Congestive heart failure is a condition in which the heart does
not pump blood properly. Congestive heart failure occurs when
the heart, due to a defect, injury, or disease, is not able to
pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. When this happens,
body tissues, which depend on the oxygen and nutrients in blood
circulated from the heart, no longer receive enough nourishment.
As a result, patients experience shortness of breath when
climbing stairs and walking quickly, and tire easily. Because
the heart's ability to pump blood is reduced, fluid other than
blood builds up in the tissues that were being nourished by a
constant flow of blood — this causes the tissues to retain fluid
and to swell. Also, because the heart is weakened, it cannot
prevent excess fluid from backing up in the lungs, which is why
patients have difficulty breathing. The “congestive” in
congestive heart failure refers to the buildup of fluid in
tissues and the lungs. Heart failure can occur on the left or
right side of the heart, and us