Congestive heart failure means that the heart is not able to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. There are different medications for treating congestive heart failure. This is a regime of medications that are recommened to treat congestive heart failure.

Hypertension is a cause of heart failure. Because the heart is being forced to pump against elevated blood pressure the heart's left ventricle muscle thickens and becomes stiff. This causes it to fill with blood. This leads to congestion in the lungs. Ace inhibitors are the first line of defense. The Ace inhibitors reduce blood pressure and also prevent development of congestive heart failure in heart attack victims. This medication causes blood vessels to relax, dilate which reduces the left ventricles workload.

Diuretics are used to reduce the congestion of fluids in the body. This will eliminate fluids in the lungs and reduce shortness of breath and ankle swelling. Too much diuretic and you will become dehydrated, too little and the body will retain fluids. Diuretics stimulate the kidneys to excrete salt and water.

ARB(Angiostensin Receptor Blockers), medication is also used in treating congestive heart failure. The ARB's help with the heart function. They act by similar mechanism as do the Ace inhibitors. When the heart does not pump enough blood the body senses reduced blood flow and thinks the person is bleeding. The automatic reflex causes the brain and kidneys to release hormones that constrict blood vessels attempting to restore blood pressure. The most powerful chemical released is angiostensin. This substance is blocked by use of ARB's.

Medications used in treating congestive heart failure improve the symptoms and improve quality of life for chf patients. These meds will reduce hospitalization and trials show that they will extend a patients life. These meds may impair kidney function as they reduce blood flow to the kidneys. 5 to 10 percent of chf patients develop an annoying cough. A patient may feel dizzy when standing suddenly.

There are drugs to avoid for chf patients. NSAID's(non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), ibuprofen(motrin and advil), naproxen(aleve), celecoxib(celebrex). These drugs decrease the kidneys ability to excrete salt and water resulting in fluid accumulation that can trigger heart failure symptoms.

5 million Americans are living with heart failure. Each year more than 500,000 Americans develop heart failure. Following Doctors orders and taking prescibed medications can lead to many more years of an active normal life. A chf patient may have to make some other lifestyle changes too.