Heart failure isn't the same as a heart attack. It also doesn't mean that your heart isn't beating. To understand heart failure, we need to know how the heart works. 

Your heart is a pump. The upper right side of your heart takes in blood and sends it down into the lungs to get oxygen. Oxygen-rich blood travels from the lungs up through the left side of your heart, which pumps it to your body. 

Heart failure means that your heart isn't keeping up with the work it needs to do. The muscle can't pump as it should. 

It may compensate by pumping faster, getting bigger or developing more muscle mass. Other organs also work harder to make up for the heart's pump not working as it should. 

All these things can create problems that make it harder for you to go about daily life.

What is congestive heart failure? 

Doctors sometimes use heart failure and congestive heart failure interchangeably. However, congestive heart failure (CHF) is a more serious problem. 

CHF means that blood flow has slowed to the point that blood returning to your heart is backing up in your veins. It causes "congestion" and swelling in your tissues, leading to fluid buildup in your lungs. 

CHF is also called left-sided heart failure. It means the left side is working harder. Untreated, this can lead to right-sided heart failure. 

A person with CHF needs treatment right away. 

Heart failure symptoms 

You may not have symptoms at first. Heart failure may gradually get worse. Or another condition can make it suddenly get worse. 

Signs of heart failure include: 

• Constant coughing or wheezing
• Difficulty breathing when lying down (this is one of the main CHF symptoms)
• Feeling confused or disoriented
• Feeling tired and exhausted
• Increased heart rate
• Sudden weight gain or weight loss
• Swelling in the feet, legs or ankles, or sometimes in the stomach
• Trouble breathing and shortness of breath, especially when active 

Anyone can develop heart failure, but it's more common as you get older. 

Heart failure tends to happen as a result of having another heart condition. Heart conditions linked to heart failure include: 

• ​​​Heart disease: Heart disease can affect blood flow, which puts you at greater risk for heart failure.
• ​​Heart attack: A heart attack can cause part of your heart muscle to die, affecting its pumping ability.
• ​​Heart valve disease: When your valves don't open and close as they should, it affects your heart's ability to pump.
• ​​Heart rhythm disorders: Your heart's electrical system allows it to beat as it should. Untreated arrhythmias can raise your risk for heart failure.
• Cardiomyopathy: This condition affects your heart muscle. Heart failure can lead to cardiomyopathy. But other conditions that cause cardiomyopathy can also increase heart failure risk.
• Congenital heart conditions: Babies can be born with certain conditions that can cause heart failure. If you had a heart condition as a child, it's called adult congenital heart disease. Depending on what treatment you had as a child, you may be at risk for heart failure as an adult. 

There are other risk factors for heart failure, such as: 

• Having diabetes
• Having high blood pressure
• Smoking
• Heavy alcohol use 

Heart failure doesn't have to be inevitable. Treating certain conditions early can prevent heart failure in many people. 

For example, fixing a faulty valve through surgery or a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (​TAVR) can prevent or delay heart failure. So can getting treatment for certain arrhythmias. And of course, getting immediate care if you're having a heart attack also reduces your risk. 

Controlling high blood pressure can also help reduce your risk. So can properly managing your diabetes. 

Heart failure treatment, or CHF treatment, depends on your symptoms and the severity of your condition. 

It may include: 

• Lifestyle changes: Things like quitting smoking, eating less sodium and getting daily exercise can reduce your risk for worsening heart failure.
• Medicine: You may need a combination of medicines to lower blood pressure, widen blood vessels or reduce your heart rate. Many people with heart failure take diuretics (sometimes called water pills) to get rid of excess fluid.
• Monitoring: We use a device called CardioMEMS. It helps doctors monitor changes in your lung arteries and can help better control heart failure.
• Cardiac rehab: People with heart failure automatically qualify for cardiac rehab. This supervised exercise and nutrition program can help you better manage heart failure. Learn more about ​cardiac rehab at Carilion.
• LVAD device: A left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is a pump that does the work of your failing left ventricle. We do surgery to connect the LVAD to your heart. Learn more about ​​heart devices at Carilion. 

The only true cure for heart failure is a heart transplant.