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Heart failure
Make it clearer
Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, is a condition that develops when the heart no longer pumps enough blood to meet the body's needs.
There are two ways to arrive there, and they are worth telling apart. In one, the heart cannot fill with enough blood between one beat and the next. In the other, it is too weak to pump with force. One problem is with what comes in, the other with what goes out, and the result people notice is similar.
There is also something the name suggests badly. Heart failure does not mean that the heart has stopped. It is still beating; what happens is that its work falls short of the demand. That distinction matters for anyone hearing the diagnosis for the first time.
In brief
Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure, is a condition that develops when the heart does not pump enough blood for the body's needs.
There are two ways to reach that point: the heart may not fill with enough blood between one beat and the next, or it may be too weak to pump properly.
It is worth saying plainly: the term heart failure does not mean that the heart has stopped.
Sources (1)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteHeart Failure - What Is Heart Failure?
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated