supplies most of the heart's pumping power, so it's larger than the other chambers and necessary
for normal function. In left-sided or left ventricular (LV) heart failure, the left side of the heart
must work harder to pump the same amount of blood.
There are two types of left-sided heart failure - either the ventricle can't pump, or it can't relax.
Systolic failure:
The left ventricle cannot contract normally. It is too weak. The heart can't pump with
enough force to push enough blood to the rest of the body.
Diastolic failure:
The left ventricle loses its ability to relax normally (because the muscle has become stiff).
The heart can't properly fill with blood during the resting period between each beat.
Right-sided heart failure
The heart's pumping action moves "used" blood that returns to the heart through the veins
through the right atrium into the right ventricle. The right ventricle then pumps the blood back
out of the heart into the lungs to be replenished with oxygen.
Right-sided or right ventricular (RV) heart failure usually occurs as a result of left -sided failure.
When the left ventricle fails, increased fluid pressure backs up through the lungs, eventually
damaging the right side of the heart. When the right side loses pumping power, blood backs up
in the body's veins. This usually causes swelling or congestion in the legs, ankles and swelling
within the abdomen.
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