The left side of the heart is responsible for pumping blood from the lungs to the rest of the body. Left-sided heart failure occurs due to stiffening or weakening of the heart muscle, which inhibits the heart from pumping sufficiently or causes the workload of the heart to increase.
Causes
Disorders that can cause heart failure include coronary artery disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, faulty heart valves, heart muscle damage or inflammation, abnormal heart rhythms and diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Symptoms
According to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, symptoms of left-sided heart failure include tiredness, weakness, wheezing and shortness of breath with exertion, at rest or lying down. Older adults may experience confusion and disorientation.
Diagnosis
Left-sided heart failure is diagnosed based on the presence of symptoms, imaging tests and blood tests. Imaging tests allow your physician to examine the heart structures for defects as well as the heart size.
Treatment
Treatment of left-sided heart failure includes medications, lifestyle changes and correction of the heart failure cause with surgery or implantable medical devices.
Considerations
Left-sided heart failure will eventually cause right-sided heart failure, according to Merck Manuals. Symptoms of heart failure progress slowly over days to years and you may not initially experience symptoms.
References
- Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Heart Failure
- Mayo Clinic: Heart Failure
- "Introduction to Medical-Surgical Nursing;" Third Edition; Adrianne Dill Linton PhD RN and Nancy K. Maebius PhD RN; 2003
