Heart failure symptoms

Common symptoms of heart failure

Common symptoms include:

Breathing problems
Waking up breathless at night
Swelling in the feet, ankles, legs, hands, and/or lower back (known as edema)
Swelling in the abdomen (known as ascites)
Weight gain, even with a loss of appetite
Extreme fatigue
Dizziness, lightheadedness and lack of concentration
Palpitations (caused by irregular heartbeat)

Symptoms of heart failure may develop slowly over days or weeks, or they may develop quickly. If you do not get help as soon as you have these symptoms, you may need to spend time in the hospital to get the symptoms under control.

It's important to know that heart failure symptoms can be managed. If you notice recurring symptoms and respond to them quickly, you can help keep yourself out of the hospital.

When to call your health care provider

Call your health care provider if you:

weight gain of more than 3 pounds in one day, or 5 or more pounds in one week
have swelling in your ankles, legs or abdomen
have increased fatigue
have increased shortness of breath on exertion, shortness of breath at night or when lying flat
have an unexplained cough, or a "hacking" night cough
cough up pink or blood-tinged phlegm
have decreased urination during the day, but more frequent need to urinate at night
need to sleep with more pillows at night
feel lightheaded or dizzy
have nausea or cannot eat and/or take medicines
have chest pain or discomfort with activity that gets better with rest

When to call 911

Call 911 right away if you:

pass out or faint
become extremely short of breath or are unable to talk due to being breathless
have severe chest pain that is not helped by nitroglycerin
have an ongoing rapid, racing heartbeat