Shortness of breath with walking or bending over. Waking up short of breath or unable to lie flat at night. Weight gain. Swelling (edema) in your ankles, legs or abdomen.
Shortness of breath with activity or when lying down. Fatigue and weakness. Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet. Rapid or irregular heartbeat.
In left-sided heart failure, the left side of the heart is weakened and results in reduced ability for the heart to pump blood into the body. In right-sided heart failure, the right side of the heart is weakened and results in fluid in your veins, causing swelling in the legs, ankles, and liver.
When the left side of the heart is failing, it can't handle the blood it's getting from the lungs. Pressure then builds up in the veins of the lungs, causing fluid to leak into the lung tissues. This may be referred to as congestive heart failure. This causes you to feel short of breath, weak, or dizzy.
Left-sided heart failure is usually caused by coronary artery disease (CAD), a heart attack or long-term high blood pressure.
Most commonly, left-sided heart failure is caused by heart related diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD) or a heart attack. Other left-sided heart failure causes can include: Cardiomyopathy.
When the left side is not pumping correctly, blood backs up in the blood vessels of the lungs — pulmonary edema. As blood backs up in the lungs, pressure in the veins of the lungs increases. Fluids within the lungs are pushed into breathing spaces, interrupting the normal flow of oxygen.
Sometimes edema is the first sign of heart failure. Once heart failure is diagnosed, it becomes important to monitor increases in body weight that may result from increased fluid retention. One 2021 review of studies suggests that increases in edema may also predict worsening heart failure.
Tests for heart failure
Tests you may have to diagnose heart failure include: blood tests – to check whether there's anything in your blood that might indicate heart failure or another illness. an electrocardiogram (ECG) – this records the electrical activity of your heart to check for problems.
For most people, heart failure is a long-term condition that can't be cured. But treatment can help keep the symptoms under control, possibly for many years. The main treatments are: healthy lifestyle changes.
Tiredness, fatigue
...a tired feeling all the time and difficulty with everyday activities, such as shopping, climbing stairs, carrying groceries or walking. The heart can't pump enough blood to meet the needs of body tissues.
A test called an echocardiogram is often the best test to diagnose your heart failure. Your doctor can also use this test to find out why you have heart failure, and then monitor your condition going forward every three to six months.
Right-sided or right ventricular (RV) heart failure usually occurs as a result of left-sided failure. When the left ventricle fails, increased fluid pressure is, in effect, transferred back through the lungs, ultimately damaging the heart's right side.
There may be times that your symptoms are mild or you may not have any symptoms at all. This doesn't mean you no longer have heart failure. Symptoms of heart failure can range from mild to severe and may come and go. Unfortunately, heart failure usually gets worse over time.
Fatigue and Activity Changes
The easiest way to know that heart failure is getting worse is you're able to do less and less. People start pacing themselves. They stop doing hobbies that involve any physical activity. They used to go fishing, but not anymore.
When they do occur, the most common is chest pressure or pain, typically on the left side of the body (angina pectoris). Other signs and symptoms — which might be experienced more commonly by women, older people and people with diabetes — include: Neck or jaw pain. Shoulder or arm pain.
Generally, 50% of patients with left ventricular dysfunction go one to live beyond 5 years after being diagnosed.
Symptoms can develop quickly (acute heart failure) or gradually over weeks or months (chronic heart failure).
Cholesterol levels. High blood cholesterol is defined as having too much cholesterol—a waxy, fatty substance—in the blood. Having either high LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) or low HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol)—or both—is one of the best predictors of your risk of heart disease.