Signs and Symptoms

Many people who have heart failure will have symptoms that include:

• Shortness of breath (trouble catching your breath when doing even simple tasks like dressing or walking up a flight of stairs or at rest)
• Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen (some people may have swollen or bulging veins in the neck)
• Feelings of unusual tiredness (fatigue), weakness
• Faster or irregular heartbeat
• Fast weight gain, or rapid fluctuations in weight (often due to a buildup of fluid)
• Trouble breathing, pressure or heaviness in the chest when lying flat
• Frequent cough

Many people with heart failure find it difficult to be physically active or keep up with activities they used to do.

Late in the disease, people may notice:

• A lack of appetite or that they feel full more quickly
• Weight loss (cardiac cachexia)