What is heart failure, how does sudden heart failure happen?
Heart failure is generally referred to as a condition in which our heart is not able to pump enough blood to the other parts of the body. This happens because the cardiac muscles of our heart become weak and they are unable to pump blood through the heart itself. It is important to understand that heart failure is a very serious condition that requires immediate medical treatment. This condition may develop over a short period of time or it may progress slowly over a period of time.
Heart failure can affect one or both sides of your heart and can happen for a variety of reasons. Pre-existing health conditions like coronary heart disease, irregular heartbeat, inflammation and hypertension can lead to heart failure. Older people are more vulnerable to heart failure. Women often have a higher risk of heart failure at a later age than men. The reasons behind the development of this condition sometimes depend on the gender as well.
Heart failure affects other organs of the body like kidney, liver and internal organs of the body. Heart failure can also lead to other complications, including conditions such as heart attack, pulmonary hypertension, and irregular heartbeat.

Types of heart failures
Left Side Heart Failure
Oxygen-rich blood flows from the lungs to the heart, where it enters the left chamber of our heart. It then travels to the left atrium and then to the left ventricle, after which it is pumped to various parts of the body. The left chamber of our heart is the most important and also a bit bigger because its job is to pump blood throughout the body. Therefore, left side heart failure increases the workload on the left atrium and ventricle. There are two main types of left side heart failure:
Systolic failure
In this condition, the blood coming out of the heart starts decreasing. Due to the inability of the left ventricle, the heart loses its ability to pump blood to the other parts of the body with sufficient force.
Diastolic failure
In this condition, the process of blood coming out of the heart remains normal. However, in this condition the muscles of the left ventricle stiffen, due to which this part loses its ability to relax adequately. Because of this, the heart is unable to fill with blood.
Right side heart failure
This condition primarily involves the right ventricle of our heart and usually occurs after left side heart failure due to increased fluid pressure. This pressure of fluid is transferred to our lungs, which affects our right chamber, causing blood to flow in the veins and swelling in different parts of the body.
Congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure occurs when the rate of blood flow through the heart decreases, causing blood to build up in the veins and swelling in various parts of the body, such as the feet and ankles. Often the accumulation of fluid in our lungs causes difficulty in breathing and if it is not managed properly then it leads to shortness of breath.
Common causes of heart failure include:
Coronary Heart Disease
This condition usually occurs when fatty deposits, also known as plaques, build up too fast in our arteries and block blood flow. The accumulation of plaque that blocks the arteries is also known as a condition called atherosclerosis. Due to this plaque, the flow of blood in the arteries is obstructed, which reduces the supply of oxygen to the heart tissue. Lack of oxygen causes angina or cardiac arrest.
High blood pressure
High blood pressure puts pressure on the blood vessels and the heart, causing the heart to stop.
Cardiomyopathy
A condition in which the heart tissue itself is damaged, which can lead to heart failure. In this condition, the muscles of the heart are affected, due to which they become weak.
Irregular heartbeat
In this condition usually our heartbeat becomes irregular. This condition works to increase the risk of heart failure.
Damaged heart valves
This prevents the heart from pumping blood properly and as a result, the ventricles are unable to fill with blood. Because of this, conditions like heart failure can also arise.
Congenital Heart Disease
These are defects present from birth and if the condition is not treated or managed properly, it can lead to heart failure.
Unhealthy lifestyle
Lifestyle factors such as excessive consumption of alcohol, drugs or smoking can damage the heart.
Hyperthyroidism or pulmonary hypertension
Such health conditions can also cause the heart to stop.
Heart failure diagnosis and prevention
If a person is feeling any of these symptoms then it becomes necessary to visit a doctor.A physical examination may be needed to diagnose heart failure.The doctor confirms through a two-dimensional echocardiogram, Doppler flow. Apart from this, blood tests are done to find out how the kidney is working, the total cholesterol of the body, the level of electrolytes like sodium, potassium. The doctor may also recommend a chest X-ray. ECG and MRI are also done, which help in ascertaining the ventricular function.
To prevent heart failure it is very important to find out the risk factors. Other measures that can reduce the risk of heart failure include controlling high blood pressure or diabetes and making lifestyle changes such as reducing stress, controlling weight, reducing alcohol consumption and quitting smoking.