Symptoms of heart failure

Heart failure usually develops slowly, and symptoms may not appear until the condition has progressed. Common symptoms include the following.

• Shortness of breath. This may result from excess fluid in the lungs. Breathing difficulties may occur at rest, during exercise, or sometimes when waking up.
• Fatigue or tiring easily. Muscles and other tissues receive less oxygen and nutrients when the heart’s pumping capacity decreases.
• Fluid accumulation or edema. This may cause swelling of the feet, ankles, legs and occasionally, the abdomen. Excess fluid retained by the body may result in weight gain, which sometimes occurs fairly quickly. Compression wear resources to help relieve this condition are available.
• Poor appetite
• Chest fullness