

There are three main types of heart failure. What are the different types of heart failure?

This increases pressure in the vein that brings blood to the liver from the intestines and spleen, causing fluid to accumulate in the legs. With cirrhosis, blood cannot pass through the liver properly. Serious respiratory conditions, like emphysema, can lead to lower leg edema when the right side of the heart starts to fail because the pressure in the heart and lungs becomes too great for proper circulation to continue. Kidney-related edema may affect the legs and/or the face. When the kidneys don’t remove enough fluid and sodium, pressure inside blood vessels increases and edema follows. Problems with the veins that keep them from moving blood along its path to the heart allow fluid to leak into nearby tissue. The additional sodium is excreted in urine. Consuming excess sodium causes the body to retain more fluid to help keep sodium levels from getting too high. Both conditions can lead to temporary fluid retention and swollen feet and legs. Simply getting up and moving around usually alleviates swelling in the legs and feet.

It still pumps blood, but it’s not enough to meet the body’s needs. Although it sounds like the heart is failing to work at all, the term heart failure really means that the heart has grown weaker or stiffer.
