The condition is treatable and its effects are often reversible. How the heart works The heart pumps oxygen and nutrients to the body's tissues and organs. It also helps rid the body of unnecessary waste products. The heart consists of four chambers, the right and left atria and the right and left ventricles. Blood from the body enters the heart through the right atrium to the right ventricle which brings blood to the lungs.
Blood then returns to the heart via the left atrium.
The heart then pumps the oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body through the left ventricle. The heart performs this task on an ongoing basis. The diagnosis Congestive heart failure is not a disease in itself. It is a syndrome in which the heart is unable to pump an adequate supply of blood to meet the oxygen requirements of the body's tissues and organs. As a result, fluid accumulates in the heart and other organs such as the lungs and spreads gradually into surrounding tissues.