Definition of heart failure Heart failure

heart fail•ure

We found 5 definitions of heart failure from 4 different sources.

What does heart failure mean?

Noun
heart failure - inability of the heart to pump enough blood to sustain normal bodily functions
		coronary failure
		cardiopathy, heart disease a disease of the heart
		failure an unexpected omission; "he resented my failure to return his call"; "the mechanic's failure to check the brakes"
		congestive heart failure inability to pump enough blood to avoid congestion in the tissues

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

heart failure (Noun)
The chronic inability of the heart to pump a sufficient amount of blood throughout the body, leading to a pooling of blood and shortness of breath.
heart failure (Noun)
The cessation of the heartbeat; cardiac arrest .

heart failure
The inability of the heart to pump blood at an adequate rate to fill tissue metabolic requirements or the ability to do so only at an elevated filling pressure.

Heart failure is when the heart cannot pump blood well. Heart failure is different from cardiac arrest, because the heart is still working. Heart failure can be sudden ("acute"), for example after a heart attack, or can come on slowly. Someone with heart failure can have shortness of breath, difficulty lying flat, waking up breathless at night, swelling of the legs, and needing to urinate often during the night. There are many reasons why someone can get heart failure, but most often heart attacks, high blood pressure or problems with the heart valves. A doctor makes a diagnosis of heart failure by asking about the symptoms above, examining the heart, blood vessels, lungs, liver (for swelling) and legs (for swelling or edema). Other tests to prove the diagnosis are X-rays of the lungs, an echocardiogram (an ultrasound test of the heart) and blood tests. Heart failure can only be cured with a heart transplant, which is not done often, but most people with heart failure need to take diuretic medicines and other medication (ACE inhibitor, statin). Some people with heart failure are treated with an artifical pacemaker that makes the heart work better.

heart failure in sign language