Symptoms of Heart Failure
If you have CHF, it’s important to keep a close eye on your symptoms and how you feel every day. There are some symptoms you may experience that your care team needs to know about.
Swelling from fluid buildup is called edema, and it’s one of the most common symptoms of CHF. Edema can happen in your feet, ankles, legs, fingers, belly, or lungs. If it happens in your lungs, it might be hard to breathe when you’re lying down, so you may need to prop yourself up on pillows or get up and walk around. Some of the other symptoms you may experience include:
- Sudden weight gain from edema (2-3 lbs. a day or 1 lb. a day for several days)
- Shortness of breath when active or when lying down
- Getting very tired from hardly any effort
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Frequent, dry, hacking cough, usually when lying down
Your care team needs to know about these symptoms and how long you’ve had them because it will help them figure out if they need to make changes in your treatment. If you have any questions about your symptoms, let your care team know. They have helped many people who have CHF and will be able to help you, too.