When the heart is in failure, it either can't fill up with enough blood or it doesn't pump with enough force. "Congestive" heart failure is when this inability causes blood and fluid to back up into the lungs. This causes symptoms such as shortness of breath and fluid building up in the feet, ankles, and legs.
Each year, another 550,000 people are diagnosed with this serious condition for the first time. Congestive heart failure contributes to or causes about 300,000 deaths each year. About 5 million people in the United States have this condition, and the number is increasing.
Congestive heart failure typically cannot be cured. In addition, as it progresses, symptoms tend to become worse. A few other names for heart failure besides congestive heart failure include left-sided heart failure, right-sided heart failure, and diastolic heart failure.
(Click Congestive Heart Failure to read the complete eMedTV article on congestive heart failure, which includes more detailed information about congestive heart failure symptoms and how the condition progresses, as well as statistics on how many people it affects. You can also click on any of the links in the box to the right for more specific information.)
