Congestive Heart Failure, What Are The Causes?
Heart failure is a chronic disease that develops when the heart has difficulty pumping enough blood to meet the body’s needs. This causes incorrect oxygenation of the cells.
It can affect only the right or left side of the heart, but both are often compromised.
As it develops, blood can accumulate in other parts of the body, and with increased water retention, other organs tend to suffer a serious negative impact.
Our body can even generate an inflammatory response that tends to manifest itself with lung, liver and gastrointestinal tract disorders.
At an early stage , it usually has no obvious symptoms, but as the days go by, it causes difficulty in breathing, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, and other health problems.
Furthermore, in most cases, it occurs as a consequence of other cardiovascular diseases which, in all probability, have been neglected.
In this article we want to tell you about its possible causes.
1. Causes of heart failure: coronary artery disease
Coronary heart disease, or coronary artery disease, is caused by the accumulation of fatty plaques on the artery walls of the heart.
This is a very dangerous problem because it can block blood flow and, in severe cases, lead to a heart attack.
Infarction, in fact, can cause the death of the individual, even if cases treated in a timely manner have a high probability of survival.
High cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes significantly increase the risk of developing this condition.
2. Arterial hypertension
High blood pressure, or even simply hypertension, occurs when there is an increase in blood pressure in the arteries of the systemic circulation.
It is considered a public health problem, affecting millions of people around the world and is linked to many other ailments that increase the mortality rate.
It is, in fact, an asymptomatic disease that can present serious and fatal complications when it is not treated adequately.
It is therefore essential to keep blood pressure under control to prevent heart damage, kidney problems and cognitive difficulties.
3. Dilated cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy, formerly also known as congestive cardiomyopathy, is a progressive disease of the heart muscle characterized by ventricular dilation.
It is the third most common cause of heart failure and one of the most frequent for heart transplants.
The main risk factor is undoubtedly represented by family history, but it can also be linked to certain infections or exposure to toxins.
4. Thyroid disease affects the risk of heart failure
The metabolic and hormonal changes related to thyroid disease are closely related to an increased risk of heart failure.
Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can cause changes in the cardiovascular system and circulation, thus causing damage to the heart muscle.
It usually manifests itself through a series of internal and external symptoms that facilitate identification and subsequent monitoring.
5. Renal pathologies
While not everyone is aware of it, proper kidney function has a lot to do with cardiovascular, lymphatic, and circulatory health.
In fact, when the kidneys are compromised, they cannot filter toxins properly and are unable to balance mineral salts.
Because of this, blood pressure problems arise and the risk of diabetes, heart attacks and urinary tract disorders increases.
Kidney diseases, acute and chronic, are considered one of the main causes of heart failure problems in adulthood.
6. Diabetes and heart failure
Diabetes is a disease characterized by an increase in blood glucose levels, either due to insulin resistance or its absence.
This hormone, secreted by the pancreas, is responsible for keeping glucose levels in check and managing sugar as an energy source.
Diabetic patients need to be monitored as progression of the disease can lead to eye damage, nervous system disorders and the risk of heart problems.
7. Hereditary hemochromatosis
Hemochromatosis, formerly also known as bronzine diabetes, is an inherited disease characterized by an abnormal accumulation of iron in tissues and organs.
Since this mineral cannot be metabolized properly, in too large quantities it becomes toxic to the liver, heart and pancreas.
Complications generated by this disease are typically linked to thyroid disorders, diabetes, heart failure and other serious diseases that heavily affect the patient’s quality of life.
The control and treatment of all these conditions is essential to prevent congestive heart failure.
In the face of any anomaly, it is advisable to immediately contact our doctor, who will know how to help us.
