Heart failure

Heart failure Home Illnesses and conditions Symptoms and self-help Tests and treatments Healthy living Care, support and rights Scotlands Service Directory 0 Home Illnesses and conditions Heart and blood vessels Conditions Heart failure Heart failure Heart failure is a condition where your heart cannot pump blood around your body as well as it should. It does not mean that your heart has stopped working completely, but you may need support to help it to work better and to manage your symptoms. Symptoms of heart failure When the heart is not pumping blood as well as it should, you can experience a range of symptoms. Speak to a GP 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 There are many reasons why someone might develop heart failure. These can 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 Diagnosing heart failure Your doctor will ask you some questions about your symptoms and do an examination. If they think that you might have heart failure, youll be sent for some further tests. Tests to confirm a diagnosis of heart failure may include: blood tests to check for signs of a problem with your heart  this may include testing your BNP levels, which increase when the heart is not working well a chest X-ray  to check if theres fluid in your lungs or if a lung condition is causing the symptoms an electrocardiogram (ECG)  records the electrical activity and rhythms of your heart an echocardiogram  checks the pumping action of your heart and the function of the valves in your heart Treating heart failure If you have heart failure, treatments are available to help you manage your symptoms. This can help to improve your quality of life. Your doctor will discuss treatment optionswith you.The best option for you willdepend on your individual 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) For some people with severe heart failure, a heart transplant may be recommended. Your doctor will discuss whether this is an appropriate option for you. Managing heart failure Do keep as active as possible keep a healthy weight eat a healthy diet limit alcohol intake stop smoking Support Living with heart failure can bring a lot of uncertainty. Some people might find this difficult. You can get support in dealing with heart failure from: a local support group  ask your GP for advice or search Scotlands Service Directory The British Heart Foundation Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland Further information on heart failure Source: Scottish Government - Opens in new browser window Last updated: 18 October 2023 How can we improve this page? Help us improve NHS inform Thank You Your feedback has been received Dont include personal information e.g. name, location or any personal health conditions. Email Address e.g. you@example.com Message Maximum of 500 characters Send feedback Add this page to\n            Info For Me Other health sites Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland: Heart failure NHS inform About NHS inform Editorial policy Contact us Webchat Give feedback about NHS inform Info for Me tool Terms and conditions Privacy and cookies policy Freedom of information (FOI) Accessibility Other languages and formats  2023 NHS 24  v1.1.1.17852