What is congestive heart failure?

Congestive heart failure refers to a condition in which the heart fails to pump enough blood to satiate the needs of the body. The weakened chambers let the blood pool inside the heart and the nearby veins, triggering fluid retention, especially in the legs, lungs and abdomen. A major cause of heart failure includes hypertension, cardiomyopathy, coronary heart disease and other heart diseases.

Causes:Congestive heart failure is a syndrome that can be caused by several factors. Some of the common causes of congestive heart failure include:

• Damaged heart valves
• Weakened heart muscle
• Blocked blood vessels supplying the heart muscle that may further lead to heart attack
• Exposure to toxic substances like cocaine or alcohol
• Infections that for reasons unknown affect the heart 
• High blood pressure that leads to the thickening of the heart muscle
• Congenital heart disease
• Serious and prolonged arrhythmias and 
• Less common disorders in which the heart muscle gets infiltrated by the process of the disease.