by D. P. Noe

Created on: February 04, 2010   Last Updated: September 19, 2010

Heart failure is a very complex medical syndrome when the heart loses its ability to effectively fill with blood or the ability to eject it effectively. In order to understand what heart failure is, you need to have a basic understanding of how your heart works. Your heart is a muscular organ made up of 4 chambers. The two upper chambers are known as the atria. The atrium are your receiving chambers, they receive the blood from your body and your lungs. The lower chambers are known as the ventricles which are known as the pumping parts of your heart. The ventricles have to pump very hard to push your blood through your entire body and lungs. The right ventricle has the responsibility of pumping blood to your lungs and your left ventricle has the responsibility to pump blood to your entire body.

Heart failure happens when your heart is weakened or damaged. Failure does not mean your heart suddenly stops working. The real meaning of failure is that your heart is having trouble pumping enough blood and oxygen to meet your body's needs. When a heart is failing, the chambers cannot do their job efficiently. The chambers have lost the ability to completely fill or empty with each beat of the heart. This has a very negative effect on other organs of your body and interferes with them functioning properly.

Over time symptoms appear as the heart weakens. Heart failure is a very serious condition that can lead to death. You will start to develop symptoms because heart muscle is damaged and not keeping up with your body's needs. The heart starts to enlarge from not being able to work efficiently and trying to keep up with the body's needs. A failing heart is more likely to develop abnormal heart rhythms, which increase the risk of sudden cardiac death.

There are various causes of why an individual develops heart failure. Some of the conditions that can cause heart failure are:

* History of a heart attack

* Blocked coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart

* Age

* Diabetes and or high blood pressure

* Individuals with lung disease

* Congenital birth defects

* Some the the drugs used in chemotherapy to treat cancer.

* Viral infection of the heart

* Alcohol and drug abuse

There are also cases where the cause of heart failure is not known. Whatever the reason, the damaged heart muscle is no longer able to do its job.

LEFT SIDE HEART FAILURE

If the left side of the heart fails, it is a result of the left ventricle not being an effective pump.When the left

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