Everybody has heard the term “heart failure” but not everyone knows what it means actually. The condition of heart failure presupposes that the heart is unable to pump the required amount of blood through the body. It is more typical when the left part of the heart is affected but the right one can be as well; or both. Though this does not mean that the heart stops and won’t work any more.

When the left side of the heart is affected the pumping of the oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body is complicated. In case when the right part is under the influence lungs do not get enough blood.

In the healthy scheme of heart working veins bring blood poor in oxygen from the body to the right side of the heart; then this blood goes through the pulmonary artery to the lungs where it enriches in oxygen; then it returns to the right side of the heart, passes aorta (the largest artery) and then is distributed to all body parts.

But in the case of heart failure the scheme is different. Blood is often backs up to the lungs and there appears the condition when fluid gathers in the feet, ankles, and legs. Therefore shortness of breath and fatigue are common symptoms.

Heart failure is not a condition to be trifled with. Only in the U.S. about 5 million people suffer from it. The illness is fraught with serious complications and can lead to death. The people of high-risk group who are more likely to have this condition are whose over 65 years of age and mostly men. The cases in women are not that rare though they happen in older age – around 70s and 80s.

The condition has other names depending on the specification: congestive heart failure, systolic heart failure, diastolic heart failure, left-sided heart failure, or right-sided heart failure.