Living with Heart Failure Signs and Symptoms
Types of Heart Failure
Your heart pumps blood to all parts of your body—your feet, legs, hands, brain and muscles. Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood to keep up with the body’s needs. Congestion (buildup of fluid) can occur. Because of this, you may notice any of the following signs or symptoms: 1 ¤Dbb_kT _k \D MDD 8 kabD k; n bDT 1 bn _kT zP¡_; _k (;nfDk{ 1 b¡_; _k ¦n¡ b¡kT 1 n¡T\ 1 \n kD nM ( D \ ¤_ \ 2 _£_ ¦8 n even at rest 1 _MN2¡b ¦ ( D \_kT ¤\_bD b¦_kT P 1 a_kT ¡x ¤_ \ \n kD nM ( D \ 1 _ D;kD k; M _T¡D ¤_ \ \D simplest activities 1 n nM xxD _ D 1 ¡ D 1 D_T\ T _k n£D \n xD _n; nM time 1 k (_b_ ¦ n 2nk2Dk D 1 x_; \D D8 nM Dk _ DT¡b 1 _¨¨_kD n b_T\ \D ;D;kD 1 D2 D D; ¡ _k _nk 1 \D kDD; n ¡ _k D fn D nM Dk ;¡ _kT the night
Heart failure can involve the heart’s left side, right side or both. It usually affects the left side first, causing shortness of breath. The term congestive heart failure often is used to describe everyone with heart failure. However, congestion (the buildup of fluid) is just one feature of the condition and does not apply to everyone. Systolic heart failure occurs if the left side of the heart loses its ability to pump blood throughout the body. The normal heart pumps more than half of its blood out of the left side with each beat. The amount of blood that is pumped out is called the ejection fraction. A normal ejection fraction is greater than 50 percent. With systolic heart failure, the ejection fraction falls below 40 percent. The heart begins to receive more blood than it can pump out to the body. Over time, the heart gets bigger and stretches as it works harder to pump more blood. Diastolic heart failure occurs when the heart wall becomes thick and stiff over time, and the heart has a problem relaxing. Because the muscle has become stiff, the heart cannot properly fill with blood. The ejection fraction is normal. However, the volume of blood received and pumped by the heart is less than normal. People with this type of heart failure also may have shortness of breath, swelling of the feet and other heart failure symptoms. \D D¤ n a D n2_ _nk z { defines classes of heart failure, according to how it affects a person’s life. With medication and lifestyle changes, you may be able to improve your class level and your quality of life.
2 Heart & Vascular Center