Congestive Heart Failure Therapy

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the buildup of blood in the lungs because of inadequate
pumping action of the heart.
CHF has many causes, and CHF therapy focuses on eliminating the cause, reducing
symptoms, and preventing a further progressive decrease in the heart’s pumping
function.
Heart failure therapy requires lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, quitting smoking,
limiting alcohol consumption, and reducing salt and fluid in the diet.
Depending on the cause of heart failure, the treatment may be surgical or medical. Both
strategies aim to relieve symptoms and to increase the heart’s ability to pump.
Medications that treat CHF rid the body of excess fluid, reduce the blood vessels’
resistance to ejection of blood, and combat the production of hormones that increase the
heart’s workload.