The primary symptoms of heart failure are breathlessness, fatigue and swelling of the ankles. As time passes, the ability to perform normal activities may be severely limited. In extreme cases, even moving from the bed to a chair can be an exhausting experience. Fortunately, the prompt treatment of heart attack victims has saved many from death. But the downside is that this has left many people with a heart muscle that's been permanently damaged, one that is less able to pump blood to the rest of the body.
Hypertension is another major cause of congestive heart failure.
Hypertension forces the heart to pump against greater arterial resistance. Patients with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop CHF than non-diabetics. And it shouldn't surprise anyone that cigarette smokers are at much greater risk. Other conditions, such as prolonged drug addiction , alcoholism and bacterial and viral infections, can also destroy the heart muscle. Some patients wake during the night and feel they're not getting enough air.