Heart failure
হার্ট ফেইলিউর (হৃদযন্ত্রের ক্ষমতা কমে যাওয়া)
Common Symptoms
Symptom information is not available for this condition yet.
⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.
Medicines Commonly Used
⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.
No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.
Heart failure means your heart can't pump blood around your body as well as it should. That doesn't mean your heart has stopped working altogether. But you may need some support to help it work better and to keep your symptoms under control.
Symptoms of heart failure
When the heart isn't pumping blood as well as it should, as happens in heart failure, you can have a number of different symptoms.
See a doctor if:
See a doctor if you have:
- breathlessness
- a persistent cough
- tiredness or fatigue that occurs even at rest and gets worse with movement
- swelling in the legs or ankles
Causes of heart failure
Heart failure can develop for many different reasons. These include:
- a heart attack
- coronary heart disease
- inherited heart disease (for example, cardiomyopathy)
- high blood pressure (hypertension)
- heart rhythm or valve abnormalities
- viral infection
- damage from the immune system (myocarditis)
- congenital heart disease
- amyloidosis
Read more: Heart attack · Coronary heart disease · Inherited heart conditions · High blood pressure (hypertension) · Congenital heart disease
How heart failure is diagnosed
Your doctor will start by asking about your symptoms and examining you. If they think you might have heart failure, they'll send you for some more tests.
The tests used to confirm heart failure may include:
- blood tests to look for signs of a problem with your heart, which may include testing your BNP levels (these go up when the heart is not working well)
- a chest X-ray, to check whether there's fluid in your lungs or whether a lung condition is causing the symptoms
- an electrocardiogram (ECG), which records the electrical activity and rhythms of your heart
- an echocardiogram, which checks the pumping action of your heart and how well the valves in your heart are working
Treatment of heart failure
If you have heart failure, there are treatments that can help you manage your symptoms. They can also improve your quality of life.
Your doctor will talk through the options with you. Which one suits you best will depend on your own circumstances.
The standard medicines for treating heart failure are:
- angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
- angiotensin-receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI)
- angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)
- beta blockers
- diuretics (water tablets)
- mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs)
Some people with severe heart failure may be advised to have a heart transplant. Your doctor will discuss with you whether this is an appropriate option in your case.
Things to do
- stay as active as you can
- keep to a healthy weight
- eat a healthy diet
- limit how much alcohol you drink
- stop smoking