Congestive Heart Failure...Something You Should Know About

Today is the 12th anniversary of my father's demise.  He died slowly and painfully of complications from smoking cigarettes and eating too much salt and sugar.  The end cause was congestive heart failure.  So, I thought I'd share some valuable information with all of you today so you know what this condition is and the symptoms involved.  This information could save you or a loved one someday.
What is congestive heart failure?

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart's function as a pump to deliver oxygen rich blood to the body is inadequate to meet the body's needs. Congestive heart failure can be caused by:
diseases that weaken the heart muscle, diseases that cause stiffening of the heart muscles, or diseases that increase oxygen demand by the body tissue beyond the capability of the heart to deliver.

What are the symptoms of congestive heart failure?
The symptoms of congestive heart failure vary among individuals according to the particular organ systems involved and depending on the degree to which the rest of the body has "compensated" for the heart muscle weakness.  An early symptom of congestive heart failure is fatigue. While fatigue is a sensitive indicator of possible underlying congestive heart failure, it is obviously a nonspecific symptom that may be caused by many other conditions. The person's ability to exercise may also diminish. Patients may not even sense this decrease and they may subconsciously reduce their activities to accommodate this limitation.
As the body becomes overloaded with fluid from congestive heart failure, swelling (edema) of the ankles and legs or abdomen may be noticed.  In addition, fluid may accumulate in the lungs, thereby causing shortness of breath, particularly during exercise and when lying flat. In some instances, patients are awakened at night, gasping for air.  Some may be unable to sleep unless sitting upright.  The extra fluid in the body may cause increased urination, particularly at night.  Accumulation of fluid in the liver and intestines may cause nausea, abdominal pain, and decreased appetite.
Courtesy:  Medicine.Net.com
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  You only have one heart, so be nice to it.  Feed it, exercise it, rest it and love it...just like your favorite pet.