What is right heart failure?

4 chambers: In the normal heart, the right side pumps blood to the lungs and the left side pumps blood to the body. Causes of right heart failure may be COPD from smoking, or pulmonary stenosis.

Edema: Blood flows from the veins to be right heart, to the lungs, to the left heart, and back out to the body. When a part of the heart is not functioning, blood backstop behind the nonfunctioning segment increasing pressure. When the right heart is not working, blood backstop behind the right heart increasing pressure in the veins. This causes venous fluid to drain into the surrounding tissue.