Heart Failure & Congestive Heart Failure What is the Difference?

A congestive heart attack is a heart attack. A heart attack occurs when there is congestion in the heart, which stops the flow of blood.

It is simply a case of the word being used less and less over time. The terminology remains the same; it’s just the frequency has dropped.

Yes and no. While heart attacks all involve some form of congestion in the heart, there are different classifications a heart attack and pain around the heart can fall under. The most common include:

• Angina
• This is where the heart’s blood supply is restricted and results in chest pain. A person can have stable and unstable angina. You can find out more information about angina.
• ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)
• This is where the heart’s blood supply is congested to a point due to blockage in the coronary artery, resulting in damage to the heart.
• Non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)
• This is where there is a partial block in blood supply which congests but it does not affect as large an area.

You can see why an investigation is needed to know whether an individual has had a STEMI or if they have angina.

There is a broad range of symptoms that highlight if someone has a potential heart problem.  The most common of these are:

• Fatigue
• Breathlessness
• Increased heart rate
• Oedema
• Palpitations

There are other less common symptoms like coughing, bloating and weight fluctuation, which are all indicators as well.

Symptoms like these can happen independently or build up over time without much notice.

There are some inherited genetic risk factors associated with heart failure. In most families, preventive measures can be taken through tests being carried out.

If you, or someone you know experiences the symptoms listed above, and they appear to be getting worse, it is best to see a doctor so tests can be carried out.

When symptoms come on quickly, and it is clear someone is having congestive heart failure, phone 999 or visit the closest A&E department.

Standard tests to diagnose heart failure include:

• Blood tests
• ECG
• Echocardiogram (TTE)

At OneWelbeck, we categorise tests under four main categories:

• Non-invasive
• Stress testing
• Complex Imaging
• Invasive investigation

You can find out more about the analyses we carry out.

Your doctor will take the information and give an idea of what your diagnosis should be. Someone found to have had heart failure will be diagnosed on a sliding scale from Stage 1 to Stage 4.

It may be the case that an individual has other underlying heart problems like Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTs), high blood pressure or Carotid Artery Stenosis.

These are all conditions we diagnose and you can get full information.

If you have any questions about heart-related issues, please get in touch with us, and we’ll be happy to discuss how the clinical care team at OneWelbeck Heart Health can help.