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Heart failure
Alternative Names: CHF; Congestive heart failure Symptoms: Weight gain Swelling of feet and ankles Swelling of the abdomen Pronounced neck veins Loss of appetite, indigestion Nausea and vomiting Shortness of breath with activity, or after lying down for a while Difficulty sleeping Fatigue, weakness, faintness Sensation of feeling the heart beat (palpitations) Irregular or rapid pulse Decreased alertness or concentration Cough Decreased urine production Need to urinate at night Infants may sweat during feeding (or other exertion). Text Continues Below Some patients with heart failure have no symptoms. In these people, the symptoms may develop only with these conditions: Infections with high fever Anemia Abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmias) Hyperthyroidism Kidney disease Signs and tests: A physical examination may reveal either an irregular or a rapid heartbeat. There may be distended neck veins, enlarged liver, swelling of the limbs (peripheral edema), and signs of fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion). Listening to the chest with a stethoscope may reveal lung crackles or abnormal heart sounds. Blood pressure may be normal, elevated or low. An enlargement of the heart or decreased heart functioning may be seen on several tests, including the following: Echocardiogram Heart catheterization Chest x-ray Chest CT scan Cardiac MRI Nuclear heart scans (MUGA, RNV) ECG, which may also show arrhythmias Page:  1 | 2 | Next >>