The full form of CHF is Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic progressive condition that affects the pumping power of your heart muscle.

While often referred to simply as heart failure, CHF specifically refers to the stage in which fluid builds up within the heart and causes it to pump inefficiently.

You have four heart chambers. The upper half of your heart is made up of two atria, and the lower half of your heart is made up of two ventricles.

The ventricles pump blood to your body’s organs and tissues, and the atria receive blood from your body as it circulates back from the rest of your body.

CHF develops when your ventricles can’t pump enough blood volume to the body. Eventually, blood and other fluids can back up inside your:

• lungs
• abdomen
• liver
• lower body

CHF can be life threatening. If you suspect you or someone you know has CHF, seek immediate medical treatment.