Congestive Heart Failure Congestive Heart Failure Congestive heart failure is a condition in which the heart muscle is weakened and the pumping function of the heart decreases. Congestive heart failure doesn't mean that your heart has stopped - it just means that it is not working as efficiently to move blood through the body. Certain conditions can damage the heart muscle so that the heart pumps with less force and as a result less blood moves with each contraction.
Blood eventually backs up into the lungs causing congestion.
Since the blood is not being pumped effectively to the organs, less oxygen is being delivered and the body's tissues are not functioning optimally. An example is the kidneys, which may not excrete urine as they should and excess fluid may settle in different parts of the body. In this condition there is a generalized weakness of the heart muscle with poor pumping ability and enlargement of the chambers of the heart. The symptoms of congestive heart failure are varied depending on the underlying causes, which chamber of the heart is in failure, and the severity. The treatment plan for congestive heart failure is designed to correct the underlying problem and to alleviate some of your symptoms and make you more comfortable so as to improve your activity tolerance and the quality of life.