Symptoms
Main symptoms The most common symptoms of heart failure are: Shortness of breath 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 Swollen ankles and legs this is caused by a build-up of fluid (edema); it may be better in the morning and get worse later in the day In order to simplify and clarify the clinical signs of heart failure, the treatment of the symptoms is also done according to the classification of the disease. Listed and explained below are the symptoms of left ventricle heart failure and right ventricle heart failure. Symptoms of left ventricle heart failure Acute left ventricle failure- is characterized by dyspnea which occurs mostly at night, resembling cardiac asthma or acute pulmonary edema. The symptomatology of these conditions has been covered in the article for atherosclerotic cardiosclerosis and pulmonary edema. Chronic left ventricle failure - the earliest symptom to emerge in chronic failure of the left ventricle is dyspnea. a. Dyspnea. Dyspnea is a very early and important symptom which in the beginning only appears during physical exertion. Later on, it also occurs while the patient is at rest. The patient feels the need to sleep with taller pillows and a greater number of pillows. In more advanced stages, the patient cannot lie down at all, they have to remain in a half-upright sitting position which is called an orthopneic position. In other cases, the dyspnea takes on the character of a paroxysmal condition which occurs at night, waking the patient from sleeping. If further measures are not taken, this can lead to the development of acute pulmonary edema. b. Coughing. Dyspnea is accompanied by coughing with a small amount of sputum. In cases of pulmonary edema, the expectorant (sputum) amount increases, becoming foam-like and at times, hemoptoic (containing blood). c. Bloody expectorant (blood in the sputum when coughing). d. Angina pain (Chest pain). This mostly occurs during crises commonly experienced by patients suffering from acute pulmonary edema. e. Cyanosis. This symptom is usually not present, except for the cases which become complicated by the onset of acute pulmonary edema or a pulmonary embolism. For patients suffering from hypertension and elderly patients suffering from cerebral atherosclerosis, Cheyne-Stokes periodic respiration may be evident (the breathing stops and restarts at irregular intervals). Symptoms of right ventricle heart failure Symptoms of right ventricle heart failure are illustrated below separated by class, in terms of whether the disease has a chronic or acute nature 1. Acute right ventricle heart failure Acute right ventricle heart failure is much less common than that of the left. This failure usually emerges as a consequence of pulmonary embolisms, or as a result of great physical exertion in patients suffering from compensated mitral stenosis, etc. Symptoms include: Cyanosis Swelling of the jugular veins Enlargement of the liver (this is also accompanied by pain in this region) Patients may fall into a collapsed state with prominent tachycardia Anuria (lack of urination) 2. Chronic right ventricle heart failure Pain in the right hypochondrium. In this type of failure, patients complain of a feeling of heaviness or pain in the right hypochondrium (In order to appropriately understand this, visually picture the abdomen to be divided into 4 parts from top to bottom, from the left to the right. In this case, the pain would be localized to the upper right quadrant) This is due to the enlargement of the liver from the stasis and strain on the Glisson’s capsule. The liver is enlarged, the surface turned flat while the corners are rounded, its consistency denser and painful upon palpation. While palpating (pressing on the liver) one can observe a swelling of the jugular veins, this is termed the hepatojugular reflux. Heaviness in the right hypochondrium Cyanosis of the lips and cheekbones Cyanosis of the nail beds Oliguria during the day and nicturia during the night Gastrointestinal issues Tachycardia Edema, which occurs in the lower extremities. The lower extremities become soft and when pressed, the finger leaves a mark, without causing any pain. In more advanced stages, there is transudate in the serous cavities such as ascites (accumulation of water in the belly), hydrothorax (accumulation of water in the thoracic region), in more rare cases, hydro pericarditis. When the entire body swells, hence when the edema becomes generalized, this is called anasarca. Less common symptoms Other symptoms of heart failure can include: a persistent cough, which may be worse at night wheezing a bloated tummy loss of appetite weight gain or weight loss confusion dizziness and fainting a fast heart rate a pounding, fluttering or irregular heartbeat (palpitations) Some people with heart failure may also experience feelings of depression and anxiety.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on
Articles for heart failure
Heart failure (HF), often referred to as congestive heart failure (CHF), occurs when the heart is unable to pump sufficiently to maintain blood flow to meet the body's needs. Heart failure doesn't mean your heart has stopped working it just needs some support to help it work better.
The symptoms of heart failure can vary from person to person. They may start suddenly or develop gradually over weeks or months. The most common symptoms of heart failure are: shortness of breath, fatigue, swollen ankles and legs, etc.
If you have symptoms of heart failure , your GP will ask you to describe them in detail. They will also carry out a physical examination. Tests you may have to diagnose heart failure include: blood tests, an electrocardiogram (ECG), an echocardiogram, etc.
If you've been diagnosed with heart failure, making healthy lifestyle changes can help relieve your symptoms and reduce your risk of becoming seriously ill. Most people with heart failure are treated with medication. Often you'll need to take two or three different medicines.
It's very important to take good care of yourself if you have heart failure. Some of the main things you'll be advised to do are; take your medication, have a healthy diet, exercise regularly, stop smoking, make regular reviews.
Pathologies of the heart are characterized by a reduced potential energy of the heart. However, the heart still attempts to withstand this phenomenon via certain mechanisms, which affect the heart muscle and cause the following cardiomyopathies.
Heart failure is a condition which often can be accompanied by complications that range from mild to severe and life-threatening.
There are many heart failure classifications being used. These classifications are used in order to help with a better understanding of the different stages and the treatment of the various stages.