Heart failure is a condition where your heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should. Heart failure is usually a long-term condition — unlike heart attacks, which occur suddenly. Common symptoms of heart failure include breathlessness, fatigue, swollen legs and a fast heartbeat.
If you cough a lot, often feel weak, have lost your appetite, and need to urinate a lot at night, you might have symptoms of heart failure. Heart failure is a long-term condition that usually comes on slowly. However, it can develop suddenly, for instance, after a heart attack.
The most common symptoms of heart failure are: breathlessness – this may occur after activity or at rest; it may be worse when you're lying down, and you may wake up at night needing to catch your breath. fatigue – you may feel tired most of the time and find exercise exhausting.
People with heart failure can also notice a loss of appetite. This is because the liver and stomach can become enlarged, due to excess fluid, making you feel sick (nausea) and have a loss of appetite.
The most common sign of an unhealthy heart is chest or heart pain. This may come on in the form of tightness, pressure, or pain and will typically last longer than a couple of minutes. However, note that not all heart problems come with chest pain.
Stage A (pre-heart failure) means you're at a high risk of developing heart failure because you have a family history of congestive heart failure or you have one or more of these medical conditions: Hypertension. Diabetes. Coronary artery disease.
“Getting diagnosed with heart failure usually starts when you notice symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, rapid or irregular heartbeat or swelling in the legs, ankles, feet or abdomen,” says Dr. Piña.
A chest X-ray can be useful to identify evidence of heart failure or other lung pathology; however, a normal result does not rule out a diagnosis of heart failure. An electrocardiogram (ECG) is often abnormal in patients with heart failure, although up to 10% of patients may have a normal ECG.
You can check for heart disease at home by measuring your pulse rate and your blood pressure if you have a blood pressure monitor. You can also monitor yourself for symptoms of heart disease, such as: Chest pain, pressure, discomfort, or tightness. Being short of breath.
A chest X-ray creates images of the heart and lungs. It can help your doctor detect signs of heart failure, such as changes in the shape or size of the heart or a buildup of fluid in the lungs.
Most people don't even notice the early signs of heart failure (if there are any signs at all). Plus, most symptoms of heart failure, especially when the condition becomes chronic, can be vague or feel like other health conditions—so some people can have heart failure and not even know it.
Unusual swelling in the legs, feet, hands, or abdomen. A persistent cough or chest congestion (the cough may be dry or hacking) Increasing fatigue or a sudden decrease in your ability to do normal activities. A loss of appetite or nausea.
It can make you feel run down, wheezy, and swollen with fluids. It's a lifelong condition, but it can be treated and managed with the help of your doctor. About 3 million women in the U.S. have it. Some 455,000 more join the ranks each year, and that number is on the rise.
People with heart failure may feel constantly tired and have difficulty performing daily activities such as walking, climbing stairs or carrying groceries. Exercise intolerance and fatigue are often the most common symptoms of heart failure.
However, life expectancy for a person with CHF has substantially improved over time. A person's age at diagnosis may impact prognosis. The authors report that the 5-year survival rate for people under 65 years of age was around 79%, while the rate was about 50% for those 75 and over.
Many people are first alerted to worsening heart failure when they notice a weight gain of more than two or three pounds in a 24-hour period or more than five pounds in a week. This weight gain may be due to retaining fluids since the heart is not functioning properly.
In some cases of heart failure — particularly newly diagnosed CHF or heart failure after other cardiac surgery — the heart may recover after a period of support on a VAD.
Heart failure is a term used to describe a heart that cannot keep up with its workload. The body may not get the oxygen it needs. Heart failure is a serious condition, and usually there's no cure.
Your Legs, Feet, and Ankles Are Swollen
When the heart can't pump fast enough, blood backs up in the veins and causes bloating. Heart failure can also make it harder for the kidneys to remove extra water and sodium from the body, which can lead to bloating.
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart. The ECG reflects what's happening in different areas of the heart and helps identify any problems with the rhythm or rate of your heart. The ECG is painless and takes around 5-10 minutes to perform.
While blood tests help your healthcare provider better understand your heart disease risk, they're not a definitive diagnosis. If your blood test results show you have an increased risk, your provider may recommend further testing. Talk to your provider about any questions or concerns you have throughout this process.