Why is it sometimes called congestive heart failure?
The main problem with heart failure is usually that the pumping function of the heart is diminished. To compensate, the heart can increase the amount of blood pumped with each beat by increasing the blood pressure in the heart. This increased blood pressure in the heart can cause blood to back up into the lungs and other parts of the body, causing watery fluid from the bloodstream to leak out into the airspace of the lungs. Over time, your lungs and other parts of your body may become congested with this leaking fluid. In addition, your body also tries to compensate for your heart failure by retaining salt and water, with the goal of increasing the amount of blood in your circulatory system. This extra fluid adds to the congestion inside your body. The congestion that results from heart failure is what causes the classic symptoms of heart failure, including shortness of breath and swelling in your abdomen and legs. For many people with heart failure, when their conditions get worse, sy
