The Congestive Heart Failure (abbreviated CHF and also known as simply heart failure) is the medical condition in which the heart does not have the power to pump enough blood to the internal organs. The reason for the development of the Congestive Heart Failure can be one of the following:

High blood pressure
Heart valve disease which is due to past rheumatic fever or other reasons
Narrowed arteries which supply the heart muscle with blood – this is also known as coronary artery disease.
Past heart attack
Myocardial infarction with scar tissues
Congenital heart defects
Infection of the heart valves
Infection of the heart muscle - which is known as myocarditis or endocarditis
Primary disease of the heart muscle which is called cardiomyopathy

The heart which suffers from this medical disorder keeps functioning but not as it did before, and the people with heart failure usually are short of breath and always tired.
Because the blood flow out of the heart slows and the blood returning to the heart backs up, this leads to the appearance of congestion in the tissues and in many cases also the swelling (also known as edema) develops. In the majority of cases there can appear swelling in the legs, ankles and other parts of the body. In other cases fluids can collect in the lungs making the breathing difficult. The Congestive Heart Failure can also affect the kidney’s, meaning that the kidney’s are not able to dispose of water and sodium.
There are two types of heart failure as following:

Systolic heart failure – when the power of the heart to pump the blood is reduced.
Diastolic heart failure – when the heart is pumping normally the blood, but is stiff.

Congestive Heart Failure – Symptoms

It is well known the fact that any medical disorder (including Congestive Heart Failure) can trigger a variety of symptoms. Therefore, some of this medical condition's most uncommon symptoms have not been listed (mentioned) here. This is why we strongly recommend you to contact your personal health care provider whenever you develop any unusual, bothersome or unpleasant symptoms. Your personal physician will be able to tell you if you are suffering from Congestive Heart Failure or from any other medical disorder. Here is a list of the most common symptoms that a person who suffers from Congestive Heart Failure, may experience, although it is also well known that the symptoms vary from person to person:

Fatigue – which is the early symptom of a heart failure
The patient’s ability to make exercises is diminished
Swelling (also known as edema) of the ankles, legs and abdomen
Shortness of breath
Increased urination particularly at night
Nausea
Abdominal pain
Decreased appetite
Cough
Exercise intolerance
Fluid retention
Liver failure
Kidney failure
Swelling of the abdominal wall, abdominal cavity, scrotum and hips
Weakness
Rapid heartbeat
Irregular heart beat
Weight gain due to the fluid retention
Difficulty in concentrating
Sudden fluid build-up
Chest pain – appears in the case of a heart attack
Wheezing
Mental confusion
Impaired thinking
The heart grows larger
The heart pumps faster
The blood vessels become narrowed
Pale, blue or cool skin
Fainting without reason
Liver enlargement
Spleen enlargement
Vomiting
Dizziness
Weight loss due to the Nausea
Tiring easy
Bloating
Some of the patients may even wake up at night feeling breathless

Congestive Heart Failure – Treatment

After establishing the diagnostic of Congestive Heart Failure, the doctor will recommend the patient a treatment program which includes the following:

Rest
Reduce stress
A proper diet
Quitting smoking
Avoid or limit the alcohol intake
Avoid or limit caffeine
If the patient is overweight, he may be advised to loose weight
A modification in the daily activities
And drugs such as:

Beta blockers – these drugs usually are used in order to improve the pumping of the heart’s left chamber.
Diuretics – these drugs help the organism to eliminate the excess of water and salt
Digitals – these drugs are used to increase the pumping action
Vasodilators - these drugs decrease the resistance of the blood vessels and expand them.
Angiotensin – Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (also abbreviated as ACE) – these drugs decrease the resistance of the blood vessels and expand them, making the blood to flow easily and help the heart to work more efficient and also easy.
Spironolactone – this is a potassium sparing diuretic which is used to improve the survival in persons who suffer from sever Congestive Heart Failure.
Digoxin – is one of the digitals, and it is used in order to strength and increases the heart’s muscle contractions and in some cases to slow the heart beats. This drug also reduces the symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure.
Nesiritide – this drug is a synthetic copy of the hormone B-type natiuretic peptide which is produced by the human body and it is also used in people who are suffering from a severe heart failure.

When the cause of the Congestive Heart Failure is known, then the treatment is based on correcting the underlying cause: when the heart failures are caused by high blood pressure, then the doctor will prescribe a treatment which will improve the blood pressure, or if the heart failure has as an underlying cause an abnormal heart valve, that valve can be replaced through surgery.
If the heart becomes drastically damaged after a Congestive Heart Failure, then the patient and his doctor should take into consideration a heart transplant.
Other surgical options include the followings:

Coronary Bypass Surgery - this is used in the cases in which the patients in which this disease is related to severely narrowed coronary arteries
Heart Pumps – it is a mechanical device (which is called left ventricular assist device) which is implanted into the abdomen. This device is usually used in patients who have a weakened heart, in order to help the hurt to pump the blood.
Biventricular Cardiac Pacemaker – these devices send electrical impulses to the heart’s lower chambers at a specific interval of time.
Defibrillators – these are used in patients who have arrhythmias which are life threatening.
Myectomy – this is a surgical procedure, in which the doctor removes the overgrown part of the heart muscle in order to make the blood flow normal. This procedure is used in the cases in which the medication proved to be ineffective.