edema due to congestive heart faliure

[Gormani]

how congestive heart failure leads to edema

[kay2486]

The most severe manifestation of CHF, pulmonary edema, develops when this imbalance causes an increase in lung fluid secondary to leakage from pulmonary capillaries into the interstitium and alveoli of the lung.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
The congestive heart failure leads to improper contraction of the heart. The blood that is pumped by the veins back to the heart then starts filling up as the heart is not able to contract properly to push this blood in to the lungs for purification. This builds up a lot of backward pressure and stagnation of blood in various parts of the body. This results in edema. Hope this helps. Take care!

[Yvette BG]

Hi Gormani--
Here is some information (from a non-copyrighted site) about congestive heart failure, which hopefully will be helpful-
"Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, is a condition in which the heart can no longer pump enough blood to the rest of the body.

Causes

Heart failure is almost always a chronic, long-term condition, although it can sometimes develop suddenly.

The condition may affect the right side, the left side, or both sides of the heart.

Right-sided heart failure means the right ventricle of the heart loses its pumping function.
Left-sided heart failure means the heart's ability to pump blood forward from the left side of the heart is decreased. The left side of the heart normally receives blood rich in oxygen from the lungs and pumps it to the remainder of the body. Heart failure is often classified as either systolic or diastolic.

Systolic heart failure means that your heart muscle cannot pump, or eject, the blood out of the heart very well. Diastolic heart failure means that your heart's pumping chamber does not fill up with blood. Both of these problems mean the heart is no longer able to pump enough blood out to the rest of your body, especially when you exercise or are active.

As the heart's pumping action is lost, blood may back up in other areas of the body, producing congestion in the lungs, the liver, the gastrointestinal tract, and the arms and legs. As a result, there is a lack of oxygen and nutrition to organs, which damages them and reduces their ability to work properly....

Common symptoms are:

Shortness of breath with activity, or after lying down for a while
Cough
Swelling of feet and ankles
Swelling of the abdomen
Weight gain
Irregular or rapid pulse
Sensation of feeling the heart beat (palpitations)
Difficulty sleeping
Fatigue, weakness, faintness
Loss of appetite, indigestion

Other symptoms may include:
Decreased alertness or concentration
Decreased urine production
Nausea and vomiting
Need to urinate at night"

Are you or someone you care for having heart failure? Both my parents (who are in their 80s) have congestive heart failure. They were diagnosed with it within the past 2-3 years. Dad's doing better heart-wise right now than Mom.

---Yvette