Patient Information > Heart Failure

Heart Failure

What is Heart Failure?
Symptoms of Heart Failure
Causes
Long term effects and complications
Treatment

What is Heart Failure?

Heart failure does not mean that the heart has ‘failed’ or is about to stop beating. The term ‘heart failure’ means that the heart is no longer capable of efficiently pumping oxygen-rich blood effectively to the lungs and body tissues.

The body depends on an efficient supply of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to work effectively. If you have heart failure, your body’s tissues do not get a good supply of blood because the heart is not pumping blood efficiently around the body.

As the heart has to work harder to pump enough blood to the lungs and the rest of the body, it eventually weakens, leading to breathlessness (as the lungs become waterlogged) and fluid retention (swelling) in feet, ankles and legs. This means that everyday activities can become quite difficult, and you may feel tired and breathless (see ‘Symptoms’)

Symptoms of Heart Failure

Heart failure is a long-term condition. Symptoms may begin suddenly, happen after a heart attack or develop gradually over several months. Symptoms include:

• coughing;
• tiredness and loss of energy;
• oedema (swollen feet, ankles and legs);
• breathlessness; and
• feeling weak, tired or short of breath.

Causes

Heart failure happens when the heart cannot pump blood efficiently to the lungs and body tissues. Usually, this is because the heart muscle has been weakened over time by an underlying problem such as a heart attack, coronary heart disease (blocked arteries leading to restricted blood flow), high blood pressure or a congenital (from birth) defect in the heart’s walls or valves.

Long term effects and complications

In most people, heart failure is caused by damage to the pumping function of the heart. While there is no treatment to repair the heart’s pumping function, the symptoms of heart failure can usually be effectively treated by a combination of taking all your medicines exactly as your doctor prescribes and making sure your lifestyle is as healthy as possible.

If you smoke, stop now
Eat at least five (but ideally seven to 10) portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day.
Cut down on salt, fats and sugars in your diet.
Take some moderate exercise every day (walking, swimming and cycling are ideal).
Lose weight if you need to.
If you drink alcohol, do not drink more than two to three units each day for men or one to two units each day for women. Don’t binge drink and make sure you have alcohol-free days in the week.
Take your medication as prescribed. If you are not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Treatment

Heart failure is a long-term heart disease which can usually be well managed by drug treatment.

You may be prescribed medicine to relieve swollen ankles and breathlessness caused by too much fluid (diuretics), or medicines to improve blood flow (ACE inhibitors) and strengthen the heart’s rhythm (digoxin).

If your heart failure cannot be improved by medication, your doctor may consider you for a heart transplant. However, this major surgery is not suitable for everyone, and the number of transplants is severely limited by the availability of donor hearts.

It is important that you talk to your doctor about any aspect of your condition or treatment that you are not sure about.