Symptoms of Heart Failure

Symptoms of heart failure develop gradually and are often put down to age or being unfit. Noticing them early allows treatment before a crisis.

Common symptoms

• Breathlessness: at first on climbing stairs or walking, later at rest. It may be worse when lying flat (orthopnoea) and may wake you at night (paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea).
• Swelling: of feet, ankles, legs and sometimes the abdomen.
• Rapid weight gain: more than 2 kg in 3 days can mean fluid build-up.
• Tiredness and weakness, with less ability to do usual tasks.
• Persistent cough or wheeze, sometimes with frothy sputum.
• Poor appetite, nausea or a bloated feeling from fluid in the gut.
• Fast or irregular heartbeat, or palpitations.
• Confusion or poor concentration in more advanced cases, particularly in older adults.
• Needing to pass urine at night.

Call 112 or 102 immediately for

• Severe breathlessness at rest or inability to speak in full sentences