A healthy heart, as seen here,
beats approximately 60 to 100 times a minute,
providing oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body.
The lower left chamber of the heart, called the left ventricle,
is the main pumping chamber.
There are many different conditions that can lead
to Congestive Heart Failure, including a prior heart attack,
high blood pressure, and Coronary Artery Disease.
Any of these can prevent the heart from efficiently
pumping blood to the rest of the body.
As a result, the heart may beat faster
and the ventricle may increase in size, becoming an even less effective pump.
When the kidneys sense the reduced blood flow,
they attempt to compensate by retaining more water and salt.
This excess fluid retention often causes congestion in the tissues
and results in swelling and in increased strain
on an already weak heart.
The progressive effect of the heart failing to properly circulate blood
and congestion due to fluid retention,
is known as Congestive Heart Failure.