The heart is responsible for moving oxygenated blood from the lungs to the body and returning de-oxygenated blood from the body to the lungs to be re-oxygenated. Right-sided heart failure is a condition in which this side of the heart cannot effectively return blood from the body, or the veins, to the lungs. According to the American Heart Association, right-sided heart failure is usually caused by a back-up of blood in the lungs caused by left-sided heart failure (see Reference 1). Heart backs up into the lungs in left-sided heart failure because the left side of the heart is not effectively pumping blood to the body. This is usually because of high blood pressure. While left-side heart failure causes an enlarged heart and breathing problems, right-sided heart failure has other effects.
Unintentional Weight Gain
Right-sided heart failure can cause significant weight gain, according to the Mayo Clinic (see Reference 2). This is because veins, the vessels that return blood to the heart, can hold only so much blood. Because the right side of the heart is not pumping blood effectively, the pressure of fluid in the veins increases beyond a certain point and fluid begins to move into the surrounding body tissues. Therefore, these tissues become dense with fluid and result in weight gain. Weight gain is usually one of the first symptoms of right-sided heart failure and is usually treated with a diuretic.
Edema
The next symptom that occurs in right-sided heart failure is edema (see Reference 2). Edema is the movement of fluid from the veins into the feet and legs. Edema results in swollen feet, ankles, and legs that can make it difficult to put on shoes or to walk. Often, increasing physical activity, limiting salt intake, elevating your legs and using compression stockings can help reduce the amount of edema in the feet, ankles and legs. Your doctor may also prescribe a diuretic to relieve the swelling.
Ascites
According to the Mayo Clinic, right-sided heart failure causes ascites, which is the accumulation of fluid into the abdominal cavity (see Reference 2). Ascites occurs because the pressure of fluid in the veins in your abdomen has exceeded the pressure that these veins can tolerate. Thus, fluid in these veins moves into the abdominal cavity. This can cause abdominal pain, nausea, and loss of appetite, according to the Mayo Clinic (see Reference 2). Diuretics may be prescribed to treat ascites. If the ascites becomes severe, your doctor may perform a procedure to drain the fluid from your abdominal cavity.
