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Back to Diseases
Heart
Failure
What are the symptoms of heart failure?
If your heart is only slightly weaker than it should be, you
may not notice any symptoms at all. Some people can go for years
without even suspecting that they have a problem. But if the
heart loses enough strength, heart failure becomes impossible
to ignore. The main symptoms of heart failure are shortness
of breath, fatigue, and fluid retention (although you may not
have all of these, depending on the cause). Even a short trip
up the stairs can leave you gasping. You may also have a cough
that gets worse at night. And at bedtime, you may notice that
it's hard to breathe when you lie down flat.
The buildup of fluids can cause swelling in your legs, feet,
and ankles. You may also notice that you need to urinate more
often than usual, especially at night.
Common symptoms of heart failure then include:
• Long-lasting fatigue • Shortness of breath •
Fluid buildup in the feet, ankles, and legs• Increased
urination, especially at night• Chest pain • Rapid
weight gain in one or two days• A dry, hacking cough that
doesn't go away Other symptoms may include nausea, upset stomach
or lack of appetite, swollen neck veins, a fast or irregular
pulse, confusion and loss of attention or memory, trouble sleeping,
dizziness, and cold or clammy skin.
