Final answer:
Yes, fluid volume excess can cause heart failure by increasing preload and straining the heart. Elevated preload due to excess blood volume leads to increased heart workload and reduced efficiency, exacerbating heart failure and associated symptoms like pulmonary edema.
Step-by-step explanation:
Can fluid volume excess cause heart failure? The answer is a) Yes, by increasing preload and straining the heart. Fluid volume excess, or hypervolemia, can exert additional pressure on the heart via increased preload, which is the stretch of the heart's ventricles prior to contraction. This elevated preload results from the heart having to handle more blood volume than normal. The increased workload can lead to the heart muscle becoming strained and less efficient, potentially contributing to or exacerbating heart failure.
Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump adequately to meet the body's needs for blood and oxygen. In cases of heart failure, fluid can get "backed up" in various parts of the circulation, including the lungs, causing conditions like pulmonary edema. This backup occurs because the left ventricle is unable to pump blood effectively out into the systemic circulation, giving rise to increased pressure within the pulmonary capillaries and causing fluid leakage.
To manage heart failure and hypervolemia, it is crucial to address the underlying condition causing the fluid retention. Ultimately, the management includes reversing the condition that caused hypervolemia, thus restoring balance and reducing the strain on the heart.