There are other possible causes for the symptoms. So, you may not have either heart disease or heart failure. Your doctor will advise whether these tests are needed for you or not. After this, your doctor should be able to tell you Do you have heart failure or not What is the cause of the heart failure How severe is the heart failure What treatment is best for your heart failure. Your doctor may not be able to tell how well you will become until you have started the treatments.
Heart failure is caused by a number of diseases.
That means the treatments may also be different. The heart muscle may become weak and pump poorly. The most common causes are past heart attacks or high blood pressure, but heart muscle damage may also be caused by infections or toxins. The heart muscle may become stiff, so that blood cannot enter it easily. This can be caused by high blood pressure and some other changes, common in older age.