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Medical Glossary
Home > Heart Health > Medical Glossary
Congestive heart failure (CHF)
Reduced ability of the heart to fulfill its function as an efficient pump that accepts blood and pumps it to the various organs of the body. Usually, this is a result of a previous damage that the heart suffered. Such damage can be acute and sudden, as in the case of a heart attack or chronic and gradual, such as caused by Hypertension (high blood pressure) not treated for many years and with time causing structural heart changes. This functional insufficiency causes symptoms due to ineffective blood supply, such as weakness and difficulties to exercise on the one hand and symptoms due to congestion of organs with fluid overload due to inefficient blood evacuation from them by the heart (for example, Pulmonary Edema), on the other hand.
Cor pulmonale (pulmonary heart disease)

Enlargement and failure of the right ventricle caused usually by chronic lung disease that led to increased intrapulmonary pressure and finally to structural and functional changes of the right ventricle of the heart.

Dyspnea (shortness of breath, breathlessness)

Breathing difficulty. Can be the result of many different conditions, including: heart diseases (heart failure), lung diseases (Chronic Bronchitis, Asthma, Emphysema and more) upper respiratory tract disorders (occlusion by a foreign body), metabolic problems and sometimes also mental disorders.

Edema

Accumulation of fluids in any tissue due to leakage of fluid from a blood vessel into the extracellular space.
Orthopnea
Shortness of breath that worsens in supine position and improves in sitting position. This is a typical symptom in congestive heart failure. People suffering from this symptom sleep on a large number of pillows for raising the upper part of the body or sleep in sitting position.
Pulmonary congestion

Congestion of the pulmonary vasculature due to pathologic accumulation of blood.

This condition can deteriorate to a dangerous clinical picture of Pulmonary edema.

The condition is usually caused by heart failure (cardiac insufficiency), although other causes, cardiac and non cardiac, also exist.
Pulmonary edema

Accumulation of fluid in the air spaces of the lungs, causing a sensation of breathing difficulty. If not treated, this can be an emergency situation with immediate life threat. The most common cause is cardiac insufficiency (congestive heart failure), but other causes, cardiac and extra-cardiac, may be also responsible.

Shock

A dangerous drop of blood pressure with symptoms of insufficient blood flow to different body organs. Clinical symptoms include: pallor, profuse sweating, cold and moist skin, rapid and weak pulse, irregular respiration, reduced urine output, altered consciousness state and even death.

Causes of shock may include: severe damage to the pump function of the heart (Cardiogenic shock), massive loss of fluids (Hypovolemic shock) due to massive bleeding or desiccation, severe allergic reactions (Anaphylactic shock), severe infections (Septic shock) and severe damage to the nervous system (Neurogenic shock).

 

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