Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle fails to pump blood as well as it should.
It often develops after other conditions have weakened the heart or when the heart becomes too stiff.
This stiffness makes it difficult for the chambers in the heart to refill as they should between beats.
Over time the heart finds it more difficult to keep up with the demand on it to pump blood to the rest of the body.
Your doctor can determine how well your heart is pumping by measuring how much blood is pumped out with each beat (ejection fraction).
In a healthy heart, the ejection fraction is 50% or higher, meaning that more than half of the blood that fills the ventricle is pumped out with each beat. But heart failure can occur even with a normal ejection fraction.
This happens if the heart muscle becomes stiff from conditions such as high blood pressure, causing fluid to build up in the lungs, leading to shortness of breath.
Measures can be taken to prevent heart failure by controlling conditions such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
Many of these conditions can be helped by improving your diet and engaging in a healthy lifestyle.
Here is everything you need to know:
Symptoms
Symptoms of heart failure include:
- Shortness of breath with activity or when lying down
- Fatigue and weakness
- Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Reduced ability to exercise
- Persistent cough or wheezing with white or pink blood-tinged mucus
- Swelling of the belly area (abdomen)
- Very rapid weight gain from fluid buildup
- Nausea and lack of appetite
- Difficulty concentrating or decreased alertness
- Chest pain if heart failure is caused by a heart attack
When to see your doctor
If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should contact emergency services immediately.
- Chest pain
- Fainting or severe weakness
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat associated with shortness of breath
- Sudden, severe shortness of breath and coughing up white or pink, foamy mucus
Although these signs often are linked with heart failure, there may be other possible causes, such as other heart and lung conditions.
