Health Issues

Congestive Heart Failure

Symptoms and Facts

• Cough
• Decreased alertness or concentration
• Decreased urine production
• Difficulty sleeping
• Fatigue, weakness, faintness
• Irregular or rapid pulse 
•  Loss of appetite, indigestion 
•   Nausea and vomiting 
•  Neck veins that stick out 
•  Need to urinate at night
• Sensation of feeling the heart beat (palpitations)
• Shortness of breath with activity, or after lying down for a while 
•  Swelling of the abdomen
• Swelling of feet and ankles
• Weight gain

Infants may sweat during feeding (or other activity).

Some patients with heart failure have no symptoms. In these people, the symptoms may develop only with these conditions:

• Abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmias)
• Anemia 
•  Hyperthyroidism
• Infections with high fever
• Kidney disease