According to the MayoClinic.com, heart failure is a condition in which the heart is no longer able to pump enough blood to adequately supply the body's needs. Heart failure is the outcome of a disease process that results in a weakened heart muscle or a heart muscle that is too stiff to pump effectively. It is important to recognize the signs of heart failure because many treatments can make a patient feel better and improve his quality of life.
Respiratory Signs of Heart Failure
As discussed by the American Heart Association, heart failure can result in shortness of breath, particularly during activity. A patient will often complain of more difficulty with breathing when lying flat on his back and sometimes will feel like he needs to lean forward to catch his breath. These symptoms occur because blood is not pumped through the heart fast enough and so backs up into the veins that run from the lungs to the heart. This fluid is then able to flow into the lungs, causing a condition called pulmonary edema. A physician will be able to hear this fluid when listening to the lungs with a stethoscope.
This fluid can also cause a chronic cough, which is often productive of frothy sputum.
Cardiac Signs of Heart Failure
Most patients do not experience symptoms of chest pain when they are in heart failure. Sometimes, however, a patient will state that he feels that his heart is beating quickly. Due to the fact that the heart is unable to pump blood as efficiently as possible, it will beat faster in an effort to supply the body. A physician may be able to hear an extra heart sound in a patient with heart failure.
Gastrointestinal Signs of Heart Failure
A lack of appetite and sensation of nausea can occur in heart failure because the stomach is unable to receive enough blood. This can result in poor digestion and in more severe cases can result in a condition called mesenteric ischemia in which the intestines do not receive enough blood flow and can be damaged as a result. In patients with chronic heart failure, these issues can result in weight loss as the patient frequently feels full and is unable to eat as much.
Systemic Signs of Heart Failure
Patients with heart failure may complain of feeling overall tired and worn out. With a limited supply of oxygenated blood, the body preferentially sends it to the brain and heart. While this helps to keep the body functioning, it can result in inadequate blood supply to the muscles, which in turn results in an overall feeling of fatigue.
Another common sign of heart failure is swelling of the abdomen and of the lower legs. Just as fluid can back up into the lungs, it can back up into the abdomen and legs as well.
Considerations
If a patient or physician notices any of these signs, further investigation into a diagnosis of heart failure should be made. Initial testing is simple and involves a physical exam and then an EKG, which is a painless test involving measurement of electrical activity in the heart. A transthoracic echocardiogram can also be obtained which involves an ultrasound of the chest to take pictures of the heart chambers. These tests help the physician to determine what type of heart failure and how severe the heart failure is in order to plan the best treatment options available.
