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What is heart failure?

Heart failure is a condition in which your heart is unable to pump enough blood around your body because of damage to the heart tissue. This can be due to heart attacks leading to scarring, high blood pressure and faulty heart valves. It can cause blood to dam up or congest behind the heart, causing fluid to collect in your lungs or other body tissue.

FAQ Frequently asked questions

What are the symptoms of heart failure?

The main symptom of heart failure is shortness of breath, usually during activity or after exertion. Breathlessness when lying down flat and waking in the middle of the night feeling short of breath are also symptoms of heart failure. Other signs and …

What causes heart failure?

The heart is made of four chambers that form two pumps. Each of the pumps include an upper atrium and a lower ventricle. The right atrium receives deoxygenated (no oxygen) blood from the veins and sends it to the right ventricle, where it is pumped through the …

Who can get heart failure?

Anyone can get heart failure; however, it occurs more in the elderly and in people with existing medical conditions such as coronary artery disease, previous heart attack(s) or hypertension (high blood pressure). People born with heart defects are also at greater …

How is heart failure diagnosed?

To help diagnose heart failure, a number of tests can be done, including: echocardiogram; electrocardiogram (ECG); blood tests, and; a chest X-ray.

How is heart failure treated?

Currently there is no cure for heart failure, but there are treatments that may help you to manage your condition while living a fulfilling life. A main focus of treatment is to identify and treat any underlying condition that has resulted in heart failure, …

Can heart failure be cured?

No, there is currently no cure for heart failure. Depending on the severity of your condition, there are several treatment and management options.

Will heart failure improve on its own?

No, heart failure will not improve on its own.

What can be done at home to treat heart failure?

If you are diagnosed with heart failure and want to stop it getting worse, you may want to: monitor your fluid intake and retention; limit your salt intake; quit smoking, and; restrict your alcohol intake.

Can heart failure be prevented?

To help prevent heart failure, it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle and try and avoid developing the conditions that cause heart failure. Specifically, these conditions include coronary artery disease (the formation of fatty deposits in your arteries) …

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About this article

Author: Dr Bow Tauro PhD, BSc (Hons)
First answered: 23 Sep 2014
Last reviewed: 19 May 2018
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Votes: 167 (Click smiley face below to rate)
Category: Atrial fibrillation

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