Congestive heart failure, simply known as heart failure, is a long-term condition in which your heart can’t pump blood well enough to meet your body’s needs. While your heart is still working, it struggles to handle the amount of blood it should, leading to blood build up in other parts of your body. Most of the time, it collects in your lungs, legs and feet.
There are different types of congestive heart failure you should know about including, left-sided heart failure, right-sided, and high-output heart failure, a rare type of congestive heart failure. It always pays off to have a clear insight into the symptoms of heart failure to ensure you seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Among the most common symptoms of congestive heart failure you should know about include, loss of appetite or upset stomach, a full bloated or hard stomach, a dry, hacking cough, need to urinate while resting at night, weight gain, and swelling in your ankles, legs and abdomen.
At times, you may have mild symptoms of congestive heart failure or none at all. This doesn’t imply you don’t have heart failure anymore. Symptoms of heart failure can range from mild to serve and many come and go. However, congestive heart failure usually gets worse overs time. As it worsens, you may have more or different signs or symptoms.
Remember, heart failure is a chronic condition that gets worse with time. There are four heart failure stages (Stages A, B, C, and D). They range from having a high risk of developing heart failure to having advanced heart failure.
Stage A (pre-heart failure) means you’re at a high risk of developing heart failure since you have a family history of congestive heart failure. Stage B (pre-heart failure) means your left ventricle isn’t working well and/or is structurally abnormal but you’ve never had symptoms of heart failure.
Individuals with Stage C heart failure have a congestive heart failure diagnosis and currently have or previously had signs and symptoms of the condition. People who have Stage D HFrEF (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction) have advanced symptoms that don’t get better with treatment. This is the final stage of heart failure.
With heart failure diagnosis, your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and medical history. You will also have to undergo a physical exam.