What Is Heart Failure? Symptoms and Treatment Methods

Created: 18.12.2024 · Last Updated: 10.08.2026 · Category: Cardiology · Prepared by the Academic Hospital Web and Editorial Board.

Cardiovascular diseases affect quality of life, create substantial healthcare costs and remain among the leading causes of death worldwide. Chronic heart failure forms an important part of cardiovascular disease burden.

What Is Heart Failure?

Heart failure is a clinical syndrome in which the heart cannot provide enough oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood flow for the body’s needs, or can do so only with increased filling pressures. It is not a single pathological diagnosis; it may include symptoms such as shortness of breath, swelling and fatigue.

Heart failure may develop suddenly or be followed as a chronic disease in many patients. Early diagnosis, identification of the underlying cause, regular follow-up and appropriate treatment can help control symptoms and improve quality of life.

Important Information: Heart failure does not mean that the heart has stopped completely. It means the heart has difficulty meeting the body’s needs because of impaired pumping or relaxation function.

What Are the Main Causes of Heart Failure?

  1. Coronary artery disease: Narrowing or blockage of the heart arteries may prevent the heart muscle from receiving enough blood.
  2. Hypertension: Long-term high pressure can cause thickening, stiffness or functional impairment of the heart muscle.
  3. Heart valve disease: Valve stenosis or leakage can increase the workload of the heart.
  4. Heart attack: Damage to part of the heart muscle may reduce pumping strength.
  5. Arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies: Diseases affecting rhythm or heart muscle can lead to heart failure.
  6. Chronic diseases: Diabetes, obesity, thyroid disorders, kidney disease and lung diseases may increase risk.

What Are the Symptoms of Heart Failure?

  • Shortness of breath, especially during exertion, climbing stairs or lying down
  • Waking at night with breathlessness or needing extra pillows
  • Persistent fatigue, weakness and easy tiring
  • Swelling in the feet, ankles, legs or abdomen
  • Rapid weight gain and fluid retention
  • Fast or irregular heartbeat and palpitations
  • Frequent urination at night
  • Loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal fullness, cough or reduced exercise capacity

You can contact us for cardiology evaluation if you have shortness of breath, swelling, palpitations or easy fatigue.

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At What Age Is Heart Failure More Common?

Heart failure becomes more common with advancing age. It is more frequent in people over 50, but it can also occur at younger ages due to genetic factors, congenital heart disease, valve disease, cardiomyopathy or arrhythmias.

What Are the Risk Factors?

  • Hypertension
  • Coronary artery disease and previous heart attack
  • Diabetes, obesity, kidney disease and thyroid disorders
  • Heart valve disease, arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies
  • Smoking, excessive alcohol, low physical activity and unhealthy diet
  • Sleep apnea, some cancer treatments or family history of heart muscle disease

How Is Heart Failure Diagnosed?

Diagnosis is based on symptoms, physical examination findings, medical history and test results. The physician asks about shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling, palpitations, weight change, medications and accompanying diseases.

  1. Echocardiography: Evaluates pumping and relaxation function, valves, heart chambers and ejection fraction.
  2. Electrocardiography (ECG): Shows rhythm, electrical activity and possible signs of previous heart damage.
  3. Blood tests: BNP or NT-proBNP may provide information about heart strain. Kidney function, thyroid tests, electrolytes and blood counts are also assessed.
  4. Chest X-ray: May help evaluate heart enlargement or fluid in the lungs.
  5. Exercise testing, coronary CT angiography or angiography: May be used in selected patients to investigate underlying coronary artery disease.

Can Heart Failure Be Treated? Treatment Methods

Although heart failure is often a chronic condition, appropriate treatment can help control symptoms, reduce hospitalization risk and improve quality of life. Treatment is planned according to heart failure type, ejection fraction, underlying cause, kidney function, blood pressure, rhythm status and accompanying diseases.

Lifestyle Changes

  • Reducing salt intake and adjusting fluid intake as recommended by the physician
  • Monitoring weight regularly and reporting rapid weight gain
  • Avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol
  • Exercising at the level recommended by the physician or joining cardiac rehabilitation
  • Controlling accompanying diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, kidney disease and sleep apnea

Medication

Heart failure medicines are used to reduce fluid overload, decrease the heart’s workload, regulate blood pressure, control rhythm and slow disease progression. Diuretics, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors/ARBs/ARNI, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and SGLT2 inhibitors may be considered in suitable patients. Medication choice and dose adjustment should be made by a cardiologist.

Device, Interventional and Surgical Treatments

In selected patients, device treatments such as pacemakers, ICD or CRT may be used. If valve disease or coronary artery disease is present, interventional or surgical treatment may be considered. In advanced heart failure, mechanical support devices or heart transplantation may be evaluated in suitable patients at advanced care centers.

When Should You Seek Emergency Care?

Symptoms that may require emergency evaluation:

  • Marked shortness of breath at rest or a feeling of suffocation
  • Chest pain, fainting or confusion
  • Bluish lips, cold sweating or severe weakness
  • Rapidly worsening leg/abdominal swelling or sudden weight gain over a few days
  • Fast or irregular heartbeat with worsening symptoms

In Türkiye, call 112 Emergency or go to the nearest emergency department if these symptoms occur.

Early Evaluation Is Important When Heart Failure Is Suspected

Shortness of breath, swelling, palpitations, reduced exercise capacity and rapid weight gain should be assessed together.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is heart failure?
Heart failure is a clinical syndrome in which the heart cannot provide enough blood flow for the body’s needs, or can do so only with increased filling pressures.
What are the symptoms of heart failure?
Shortness of breath, worsening breathlessness when lying down, easy fatigue, weakness, swelling in the feet and legs, rapid weight gain, palpitations, frequent urination at night and abdominal swelling may occur.
Can heart failure be completely cured?
Heart failure is often a chronic condition. Depending on the underlying cause and response to treatment, symptoms can be controlled, hospitalization risk can be reduced and quality of life can improve.
Is exercise safe in heart failure?
In suitable patients, regular exercise or cardiac rehabilitation under medical advice may be beneficial. The plan should be individualized according to disease stage, exercise capacity and accompanying conditions.
When is emergency care needed in heart failure?
Emergency care is needed for marked shortness of breath at rest, chest pain, fainting, bluish lips, rapidly worsening leg or abdominal swelling, sudden weight gain over a few days or confusion.
Academic Hospital note: Heart failure evaluation should consider symptom duration, edema, exercise capacity, blood pressure, rhythm, echocardiography findings, BNP/NT-proBNP levels, kidney function, accompanying diabetes/hypertension and current medicines together. You can book an appointment for evaluation.

References

  1. Academic Hospital. Kalp Yetmezliği Nedir? Kalp Yetmezliği Belirtileri ve Tedavi Yöntemleri
  2. American Heart Association. Diagnosing Heart Failure
  3. Mayo Clinic. Heart Failure - Symptoms and Causes
  4. Mayo Clinic. Heart Failure - Diagnosis and Treatment
  5. NHS. Heart Failure