What happens if the left ventricle stops working

A single risk factor may be enough to cause heart failure, but a combination of factors also increases your risk. Complications of heart failure depend on the severity of heart disease, your overall health and other factors such as your age. Possible complications can include:. The key to preventing heart failure is to reduce your risk factors. You can control or eliminate many of the risk factors for heart disease by making healthy lifestyle changes and by taking the medications prescribed by your doctor.

Heart failure care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Heart failure — sometimes known as congestive heart failure — occurs when the heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should.

Heart failure Open pop-up dialog box Close. Heart failure Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Chambers and valves of the heart Open pop-up dialog box Close. Chambers and valves of the heart A typical heart has two upper and two lower chambers. Enlarged heart, in heart failure Open pop-up dialog box Close. Enlarged heart, in heart failure As the heart weakens, as it can with heart failure, it begins to enlarge, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood on to the rest of the body.

Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Heart failure. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Accessed Oct.

Ferri FF. Heart failure. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Elsevier; Colucci WS. The four classes are based on the ability to do normal physical activities and the symptoms caused when doing those activities. While you cannot prevent all risks factors associated with left-sided heart failure, you can take steps to lower, or in some cases even reverse, your risks of diseases or conditions that can cause or complicate left-sided heart failure.

The prognosis for left-sided heart failure varies, depending on the cause of the condition and severity of the symptoms. Some will improve with treatment and lifestyle changes.

For others, left-sided heart failure can be life-threatening. Treatment for left-sided heart failure focuses on managing symptoms and treating underlying causes of the condition.

An individualized plan of treatment may include medications, lifestyle changes, and surgery for a device implant, heart reconstruction or heart transplant. Depending on the severity of the condition, treatment can include:. Medications can improve cardiac function, and treat symptoms of left-sided heart failure like heart rate, high blood pressure and fluid buildup, as they:.

A few changes in lifestyle can improve signs and symptoms and the quality of life. It is essential to follow a low-sodium, low-fat and low-cholesterol diet. Our online community of survivors and caregivers is here to keep you going no matter the obstacles. Types of Heart Failure.

Left-sided heart failure The heart's pumping action moves oxygen-rich blood as it travels from the lungs to the left atrium, then on to the left ventricle, which pumps it to the rest of the body. Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction HFrEF , also called systolic failure: The left ventricle loses its ability to contract normally.

The heart can't pump with enough force to push enough blood into circulation. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction HFpEF , also called d iastolic failure or diastolic dysfunction : 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. Protect the Hearts You Love Help fund lifesaving research and prevent heart failure in communities like yours nationwide.

Donate now. Congestive heart failure Congestive heart failure CHF is a type of heart failure which requires seeking timely medical attention, although sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably.

Last Reviewed: May 31, It's sometimes called congestive heart failure, although this name is not widely used nowadays. Heart failure does not mean your heart has stopped working.

It just needs some support to help it work better. Heart failure is a long-term condition that tends to get gradually worse over time. It cannot usually be cured, but the symptoms can often be controlled for many years.

Get advice about coronavirus and heart failure from the British Heart Foundation. Some people also experience other symptoms, such as a persistent cough, a fast heart rate and dizziness.