Congestive Heart Failure & Heart Disease

Heart disease may produce difficulty breathing. The heart and the lungs are closely connected and work together to supply blood and oxygen to our body. All the blood from our extremities, head and trunk return through the veins to the right side of the heart. The right side of the heart than pumps the blood into our lungs. As the blood circulates through the lungs it extracts new oxygen from inspired air. The oxygenated blood then returns to the left side of the heart, and the left side of the heart pumps the blood into our arteries and out to the rest of the body.

If the heart fails to contract normally, the cycle becomes disrupted and the blood will not circulate normally. When the heart malfunctions, fluid and blood often accumulate in the lungs. Doctors often call this accumulation of blood and fluid in the lungs congestive heart failure. Sometimes doctors will see congestive heart failure on a chest x-ray, but not always.

Many different types of heart problems may cause congestive heart failure and difficulty breathing. Prior heart attacks or insufficient blood flow to the muscle of the heart from arterial blockages may weaken the heart and prevent it from pumping normally. Constriction or leakage of the valves of the heart may also prevent blood from circulating normally, leading to congestive heart failure. Thickening and stiffening of the heart muscle may also impair the heart's ability to pump normally and lead to congestive heart failure.

Your doctor may suspect heart problems as the cause of your difficulty breathing if your chest x-ray showed fluid in the lungs or in the lining around the lungs. If you complained of chest discomfort or reported a prior history of heart trouble, this may also have influenced your doctor to evaluate your heart first, before evaluating your lungs.

A standard evaluation of the heart usually includes an electrocardiogram, an ultrasound of the heart and some screening blood tests. Doctors use an ultrasound of the heart to screen for any problems with the valves of the heart or weakening of the muscle of the heart. Depending on your situation your doctor might also recommend a stress test. A stress test monitors the blood supply to the muscle of your heart during stress or exercise.