Why does heart failure cause edema?

Written by Wei Shi Liang
Intensive Care Unit
Updated on September 09, 2024
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Edema caused by heart failure is mainly due to heart dysfunction, resulting in systemic circulation, venous congestion, and excessive fluid accumulation in the body's tissue spaces. The primary cause is right heart failure or total heart failure, and some special cases of pericarditis. The edema caused by this type of heart failure is often symmetrical, indenting, and sagging, and usually worsens with activity and lessens with rest. The common locations for fluid accumulation are in the sacral and perineal areas, while bedridden patients often show it in the ankle area. In severe cases, patients may experience generalized edema, and even develop ascites and pleural effusion. This condition is known as heart failure, and the type of edema it causes is called cardiogenic edema.

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Can acute heart failure be cured?

Acute heart failure refers to the acute onset or exacerbation of a clinical syndrome of heart failure, manifested as either acute onset of new heart failure or acute worsening of chronic heart failure. The goal of treatment is to improve symptoms, stabilize hemodynamic status, protect vital organ functions, improve prognosis, and prevent recurrence. Because the ischemia and hypoxia during an acute heart failure episode, along with severe respiratory distress, are life-threatening, urgent intervention is required. However, whether it can be cured depends on the underlying disease. Since the underlying disease is already present, it cannot be completely cured, but clinical symptoms and prognosis can be improved.

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Heart Failure Drug Therapy

Due to some myocardial diseases that cause damage to the myocardium, or other reasons that increase the heart's load, heart failure may occur. Clinical treatment involves strengthening the heart and promoting diuresis, improving blood vessel function, increasing the heart’s contractility, reducing the heart’s resistance, and decreasing the volume of blood returning to the heart. Through these effective drug treatments, heart failure can be corrected. Patients with heart failure should avoid excessive fatigue and maintain a low-salt diet to prevent increasing the burden on the heart.

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Is acute heart failure dangerous?

Acute heart failure is very dangerous in clinical practice. It is mainly caused by a sudden decrease in cardiac output, leading to insufficient perfusion in tissues and organs and acute blood stasis syndrome. The main clinical symptoms include severe respiratory distress, often accompanied by restlessness, profuse sweating, frequent coughing with pink frothy sputum, and in severe cases, sudden cardiac and respiratory arrest can occur. After the occurrence of acute heart failure, effective measures should be taken to alleviate symptoms such as respiratory distress. The most effective methods in clinical practice include strengthening the heart, promoting diuresis, and dilating blood vessels.

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Are heart failure and cardiac failure the same thing?

Heart failure and cardiac failure are the same, but in clinical standard diagnosis, it is called heart failure, or congestive heart failure, which can be divided into left heart failure, right heart failure, and total heart failure. Heart failure is a group of clinical syndromes caused by the gradual progression and aggravation of a condition in the presence of an underlying disease. Underlying diseases include hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, valvular heart disease, and pericardial disease, etc. Initially, there is a significant decline in activity levels; even slightly more activity can cause chest tightness, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Severe cases may be accompanied by episodes of respiratory distress, and as the condition progressively worsens, the aforementioned symptoms can occur even at rest. Heart failure currently still utilizes the New York Heart Association functional classification, which is divided into four stages, with stage four being the most severe heart failure.

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What medicine is used for acute heart failure?

The most common clinical manifestation of acute heart failure is severe dyspnea, hypoxia, and even changes in consciousness, which are very common in clinical practice. For treatment, morphine can be administered intravenously or subcutaneously to reduce patient agitation and relieve myocardial oxygen consumption. Secondly, plastic can be used for rapid intravenous push. Thirdly, vasodilators can be used, such as glyceryl trinitrate and sodium nitroprusside intravenous infusion. Fourthly, positive inotropic drugs can be used, such as dopamine and dobutamine. Additionally, cardiac glycosides, such as digoxin, can be used.