The Cardiovascular System Of The Heart

Heart failure may convey that the heart isn’t working anymore, but what it really means is that the heart isn’t pumping as well as it should be (REF). Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood through to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen (REF). At first, the heart tries to make up for this by enlarging, developing more muscle mass, and pumping faster. As this happens, the blood vessels narrow to keep blood pressure up and the body diverts blood away from less important tissues and organs to maintain flow to the heart and brain (REF). Eventually, the body and heart cannot keep up and the patient begins to feel fatigue, breathing problems, weight gain with swelling in the feet, legs, ankles or stomach, and other symptoms that eventually leads to a hospital visit. The body’s coping mechanisms give us better understanding on why many are unaware of their condition until years after the heart declines (REF).

The prevalence of congestive heart failure is on the increase both in the United States and all over the world, and it is the leading cause of hospitalization in the elderly population. Congestive heart failure is a progressive disease generally seen in the elderly, which if not properly managed, can lead to repeated hospital admissions or death. Heart failure means that the heart muscle is weakened. A weakened heart muscle may not be strong enough to pump an adequate amount of blood out of its chambers. To compensate for its diminished pumping capacity, the heart may enlarge. Commonly, the heart's pumping inefficiency causes a buildup of blood in the

Congestive cardiac failure, also known as heart failure, occurs when the heart is weak and unable to sufficiently supply blood the body needs to function. Heart failure can often be successfully treated with

The cardiovascular system, which consists of the heart and blood vessels, is the circulatory systems in our body. The major function of the system is transportation; the heart is the system pump and the blood vessels are the delivery routes. The heart transport respiratory gases, nutrients, wastes, and other substances vital to the body’s homeostasis to and from the cells by using the blood as a medium.

Our cardiovascular system is composed of the heart and blood vessels. The main purpose of this system is to transport substances throughout the body. Even though transportation is the main function of the cardiovascular system, it is not the only function. Along with transportation we have protection and regulation.

Composed of the heart, blood vessels, and blood, the cardiovascular system is the body system that carries out the tasks of pumping and transporting blood, oxygen, nutrients, and waste products, and other substances throughout the body.

Congestive Heart Failure, also known as "cardiac decompensation, cardiac insufficiency, and cardiac incompetence," (Basic Nursing 1111) is an imbalance in pump function in which the heart is failing and unable to do its work pumping enough blood to meet the needs of the body's other organs. To some people, heart failure is defined as a sudden and complete stoppage of heart activity—i.e. that the heart just stops beating. This is an inaccuracy. Heart failure usually develops slowly, often over years, as the heart gradually loses its pumping ability and works less efficiently. CHF is a syndrome that affects individuals in different ways and to different degrees. It is usually a chronic disease. It gradually

The heart, blood and blood vessels make up the basis of the cardiovascular system also known as the circulatory system. The average human body contains approximately 5 litres of blood which is carried around the body via a network of blood vessels split into three types; arteries, veins and capillaries. The arteries are the largest of the three vessels and carry blood away from the heart. Veins carry blood to the heart and are smaller than arteries, then finally the smallest vessels known as capillaries distribute the oxygen rich blood to organs whilst simultaneously picking up the waste carbon dioxide and water from the organs to transport back to the heart where it can be pumped into the lungs to be exhaled.

Congestive Heart Failure is when the heart's pumping power is weaker than normal. It does not mean the heart has stopped working. The blood moves through the heart and body at a slower rate, and pressure in the heart increases. This means; the heart cannot pump enough oxygen and nutrients to meet the body's needs. The chambers of the heart respond by stretching to hold more blood to pump through the body or by becoming more stiff and thickened. This only keeps the blood moving for a short while. The heart muscle walls weaken and are unable to pump as strongly. This makes the kidneys respond by causing the body to retain fluid and sodium. When the body builds up with fluids, it becomes congested. Many conditions can cause heart

Heart failure (HF) is defined as a multifaceted clinical syndrome that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the ventricle to fill with or eject blood. In HF, the heart may not provide tissues with adequate blood for metabolic needs, and cardiac-related elevation of pulmonary or systemic venous pressures may result in organ congestion1. In the United States, HF is increasing in incidence with about 5.1 million people suffering from HF and half of people who develop HF die within 5years 2. Over 75% of existing and new cases occurred in individuals over 65 years of age, < 1% in individuals below 60 years, nearly 10% in those over 80 years of age. HF costs the

The body needs a certain amount of cardiac output to maintain its basic functions. In congestive heart failure the body needs more output than the heart can put out. To make up for the lack of cardiac output, the heart sends all of its output to the essential organs such as the brain and lungs. It neglects to send as much blood to the extremities. This is why in congestive heart failure patents, edema is usually present. Fatigue results from the heart having to work extra hard to send blood to only a few essential organs. This is why fatigue is considered the first symptom of congestive heart failure. Congestive Heart Disease can happen on either side of the heart, or it can effect both sides. When the heart cannot keep up with what the body needs capillary pressure increases. When this capillary pressure increases it causes sodium to build up, and the body does not excrete the

Congestive heart failure is a progressive condition that worsens over time, especially if it goes unchecked. With congestive heart failure, the heart is weakened due to a number of conditions — ranging from high blood pressure to coronary artery disease. Due to this weakness, the heart can’t pump blood throughout the body at a normal rate, building pressure in the heart and reducing the flow of oxygen. As a result, fluid builds in the lungs, kidneys, and other areas of the body.

So what is congestive heart failure? A simple definition is the heart 's inability to pump blood to the rest of the body but it goes way beyond that. The body’s natural mechanisms try to compensate for the changes that

Congestive heart failure is an older name for heart failure. Congestive heart failure takes place when the heart is unable to maintain an adequate circulation of blood in the bodily tissues or to pump out the venous blood returned to it by the veins (Merriam-Webster). The heart is split into two distinct pumping structures, the right side of the heart and the left side of the heart. Appropriate cardiac performance involves each ventricle to extract even quantities of blood over intervals. If the volume of blood reimbursed to the heart develops more than both ventricles can manage, the heart can no longer be an efficient pump.

The cardiovascular systems function is to pass blood through ones body keeping their muscles oxygenated, to keep nutrients that are needed in the body and to help get rid of metabolic waste. The cardiovascular system is made up of three components, these are; the heart, the blood and the blood vessels.