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Some people do not experience any heart failure symptoms. Others experience symptoms for a short time and then they disappear. For those who do experience symptoms, they may include:

• Appetite loss or nausea
• Chronic cough
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling in the abdomen, ankles, legs or other parts of your body

Heart failure typically occurs because of damage to your heart from a heart condition, such as:

• Arrhythmia and heart rhythm disorders
• Cardiomyopathy
• Congenital heart disease
• Coronary artery disease
• High blood pressure
• Heart attack
• Heart valve disease

Other medical conditions, including diabetes, severe lung disease and sleep apnea, can also lead to heart failure.

Your risk of heart failure may increase if you are overweight, drink excessively, smoke or take certain medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, overall health and family history. He or she may also run blood tests and recommend cardiac imaging and diagnostic tests.

If you have less severe heart failure, your doctor may prescribe medications. If your condition advances, you and your doctor will consider our open-heart and minimally invasive heart failure treatments.

Our cardiac rehab specialists and Ornish Lifestyle Medicine can help you safely improve your heart health.

Vascular Care and Surgery

Call 1-800-SENTARA (1-800-736-8272) to learn more.