What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Heart Failure?

The most common signs and symptoms of heart failure are:

• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, and, rarely, the veins in your neck

All of these symptoms are due to the buildup of fluid in your body. When symptoms start, you may feel tired and short of breath after routine physical effort—like climbing stairs.

As the heart grows weaker, symptoms get worse. You may begin to feel tired and short of breath after getting dressed or walking across the room. Some people have shortness of breath while lying flat.

Fluid buildup from heart failure also causes weight gain, frequent urination, and a cough that's worse at night and when you're lying down. This cough may be a sign of a condition called acute pulmonary (PULL-mun-ary) edema (e-DE-ma). This is when too much fluid is in your lungs. This severe condition requires emergency treatment.

Heart Failure Signs and Symptoms

The illustration shows the major signs and symptoms of heart failure.