Heart Failure – Symptoms and Causes
What Is Heart Failure?
Heart failure happens when the heart cannot pump blood effectively. This causes blood to back up, often leading to fluid buildup in the lungs that makes breathing difficult.
Several conditions can gradually weaken or stiffen the heart, preventing it from properly filling with and pumping blood. These include narrowed heart arteries and high blood pressure.
With proper treatment, heart failure symptoms may improve, and some patients may live longer.
Lifestyle changes play an important role in managing this condition:
- Weight management: Losing excess pounds reduces strain on the heart.
- Regular exercise: Following a doctor-approved fitness plan.
- Salt reduction: Limiting sodium intake to prevent fluid retention.
- Stress management: Using relaxation techniques to lower stress levels.
In severe cases, advanced treatments might be necessary, including heart transplantation or mechanical heart pumps. Some medical professionals refer to this condition as congestive heart failure.
Signs and Symptoms
Heart failure happens when your heart can’t pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs. You might notice symptoms slowly over time, or they may start suddenly. Common signs include:
- Breathing problems when active or lying down
- Feeling tired and weak
- Swelling in legs, ankles, and feet
- Fast or uneven heartbeat
- Trouble exercising
- Wheezing sounds when breathing
- Persistent cough that may bring up white or pink mucus with blood spots
- Swollen belly
- Quick weight gain from fluid buildup
- Feeling sick or not wanting to eat
- Trouble focusing or staying alert
- Chest pain (if heart failure results from a heart attack)
When to Get Medical Help
Contact your doctor if you think you have heart failure symptoms. Don’t try to figure it out yourself – many other health problems can cause similar symptoms.
Call 911 immediately if you experience:
- Chest pain
- Fainting or extreme weakness
- Fast or irregular heartbeat with breathing problems
- Sudden severe shortness of breath
- Coughing up pink, foamy mucus
At the emergency room, doctors will run tests to determine if heart failure or something else is causing your symptoms.
If you already have heart failure, call your doctor right away when:
- Your symptoms get worse suddenly
- You develop new symptoms
- You gain more than 5 pounds within a few days
These changes might signal that your heart failure is worsening, or that your treatment isn’t working properly.
Causes
Heart failure happens when the heart cannot pump blood as well as it should. There are several key factors that can lead to this condition.
Heart failure often occurs due to damage or changes in the heart muscle. When heart muscle weakens or becomes damaged, the heart chambers may stretch and enlarge.
This makes it harder for the heart to pump enough blood. Similarly, if the ventricles (main pumping chambers) become too stiff, they cannot fill properly between beats.
Common causes of heart damage include:
- Serious infections
- Heavy alcohol consumption
- Recreational drug use
- Some chemotherapy medications
- Genetic factors
Coronary Artery Disease and Heart Attacks
Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of heart failure. Fatty deposits build up in the arteries, narrowing them and reducing blood flow to the heart.
If an artery becomes completely blocked, it causes a heart attack. The resulting damage can permanently reduce the heart’s pumping ability.
High Blood Pressure
When blood pressure stays high over time, the heart must work harder to pump blood. This extra strain can eventually cause the heart muscle to become either too stiff or too weak to function properly.
Heart Valve Problems
Heart valves keep blood flowing in the correct direction. If a valve isn’t working right, the heart has to work harder, which can weaken it over time. Treating valve disease sometimes reverses heart failure.
Heart Muscle Inflammation
Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) is usually caused by viruses, including COVID-19. This inflammation can lead to left-sided heart failure.
Birth Defects
Congenital heart defects mean parts of the heart didn’t form correctly before birth. This forces other parts of the heart to work harder, potentially leading to heart failure.
Irregular Heart Rhythms
Arrhythmias can make the heart beat too fast or too slow. A fast heart rate creates extra work for the heart, while a slow heartbeat may not pump enough blood. Treating these rhythm problems can sometimes reverse heart failure.
Other Contributing Conditions
Several chronic health conditions can lead to heart failure, including:
- Diabetes
- HIV infection
- Thyroid disorders (overactive or underactive)
- Iron or protein buildup in the body
Sudden Heart Failure Triggers
Heart failure can sometimes develop rapidly due to:
- Severe allergic reactions
- Widespread illnesses affecting the whole body
- Blood clots in the lungs
- Serious infections
- Certain medications
- Viruses attacking the heart
Types of Heart Failure
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Right-sided heart failure | Affects the right ventricle. Fluid may back up into the abdomen, legs, and feet, causing swelling. |
| Left-sided heart failure | Affects the left ventricle. Fluid may back up in the lungs, causing breathing difficulties. |
| Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) | A type of left-sided heart failure where the heart cannot squeeze strongly enough to pump sufficient blood. |
| Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) | A type of left-sided heart failure where the heart cannot relax or fill completely between beats. |
Most heart failure begins in the left ventricle (the main pumping chamber), but it can affect the right side or both sides of the heart.
Risk Factors
Many health issues can increase your chance of developing heart failure. These include:
- Coronary Artery Disease: When arteries narrow, less oxygen reaches the heart muscle, making it weaker.
- Heart Attack: Sudden damage to heart muscle that reduces pumping ability.
- Heart Valve Problems: Valves that don’t work correctly put extra strain on the heart.
- High Blood Pressure: Forces the heart to work harder than normal.
- Irregular Heartbeats: Especially rapid ones can weaken the heart over time.
- Birth Defects: Some people are born with heart structure or function problems.
- Diabetes: Increases risk of high blood pressure and arterial disease.
- Sleep Apnea: Causes low oxygen levels and irregular heartbeats that strain the heart
- Obesity: Carrying excess weight puts additional burden on your heart
- Viral Infections: Some viruses can directly damage heart muscle
Certain medications may also increase heart failure risk:
| Medication Type | Risk Information |
|---|---|
| Some diabetes drugs | Medicines like rosiglitazone and pioglitazone may increase risk |
| NSAIDs | These pain relievers can worsen heart conditions |
| Various other medicines | Some drugs for blood pressure, cancer, heart rhythm, mental health, and other conditions may contribute to heart problems |
Never stop taking prescribed medications without talking to your healthcare provider first.
Additional factors that increase risk include:
- Age: Even in healthy people, heart function naturally declines with age.
- Alcohol consumption: Drinking too much can weaken heart muscle. Limiting alcohol intake is recommended for heart health.
- Tobacco use: Smoking or using tobacco products significantly raises the risk of heart disease and heart failure. Quitting is one of the best things you can do for your heart.
Each of these factors affects how well your heart functions. Having multiple risk factors increases your overall chance of developing heart failure.
Complications
Heart failure can lead to several serious health issues. Kidney problems often develop because heart failure reduces blood flow to these organs. In severe cases, kidney failure might occur, requiring dialysis treatment.
The heart itself undergoes changes when affected by heart failure. These modifications can harm heart valves and cause irregular heartbeats, further worsening your condition.
Liver damage is another potential complication. When heart failure causes fluid buildup, this excess fluid puts pressure on the liver, potentially leading to scarring. This scarring makes it harder for the liver to function properly.
One of the most serious risks is sudden cardiac death. Weakened heart muscle increases the chance of developing dangerous heart rhythms that can be fatal.
The severity of these complications varies based on:
- Your age
- Overall health status
- How advanced your heart failure is
Preventing Heart Failure
Heart failure prevention begins with managing conditions that increase your risk. These include coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.
Several lifestyle changes can help protect your heart health:
- Avoid tobacco products completely
- Aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly
- Choose heart-healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
- Maintain a healthy weight through diet and physical activity
- Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as meditation or hobbies
- Take medications as prescribed by your healthcare provider
These preventive steps not only reduce your risk of developing heart failure but also improve your overall health and quality of life.
