Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHeart Failure OverviewLeft-Sided Heart FailureRight-Sided Heart FailureBiventricular Heart FailureWhat About Congestive Heart Failure?Frequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Heart Failure Overview
Left-Sided Heart Failure
Right-Sided Heart Failure
Biventricular Heart Failure
What About Congestive Heart Failure?
Frequently Asked Questions
Heart failureis what happens when your heart is not pumping enough blood throughout the body. It does not mean the heart has stopped working. Instead, it means your heart is not strong enough to pump blood properly or is not able to fill up with a sufficient amount of blood. This article discusses the different types of heart failure.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
There are about 6.7 million adults in the United States with heart failure.Heart failure can be acute, which means it happens quickly. Or it can develop over time as your heart becomes weaker. This is considered chronic heart failure.
Heart failure often occurs because of another medical condition that causes heart damage, including:
Heart failure can affect other parts of the body, including the kidneys and liver. This is why it is so important to see a doctor for heart failure and manage it properly. With the right treatments, many people with heart failure can live a long, fulfilling life.
Types of Heart FailureThere are several anatomical types of heart failure:Left-sided heart failureRight-sided heart failureBiventricular heart failureYou have probably also heard ofcongestive heart failure. This is not a type of heart failure; rather, it is a symptom that can occur with any of the three types listed above.
Types of Heart Failure
There are several anatomical types of heart failure:Left-sided heart failureRight-sided heart failureBiventricular heart failureYou have probably also heard ofcongestive heart failure. This is not a type of heart failure; rather, it is a symptom that can occur with any of the three types listed above.
There are several anatomical types of heart failure:
You have probably also heard ofcongestive heart failure. This is not a type of heart failure; rather, it is a symptom that can occur with any of the three types listed above.
It is also possible to have more than one type of heart failure.
The left side of your heart pumps blood throughout the body. With left-sided heart failure, theleft ventricle, also known as the lower left chamber, does not pump blood as well as it normally should or cannot fill with blood properly. Left-sided heart failure is the most common type of heart failure.
Symptoms of Left-Sided Heart FailureSymptoms include:Chest painExercise intoleranceFast or irregular heartbeatChronic cough or wheezingFatigueEdema(swelling in the tissues, such as in ankles or wrists)Shortness of breathRapid weight gainWeakness
Symptoms of Left-Sided Heart Failure
Symptoms include:Chest painExercise intoleranceFast or irregular heartbeatChronic cough or wheezingFatigueEdema(swelling in the tissues, such as in ankles or wrists)Shortness of breathRapid weight gainWeakness
Symptoms include:
Diagnosis and Typing
A type of measurement calledejection fractionis used to assess how effectively the heart pumps blood. An ejection fraction measurement can help indicate the type of left-sided heart failure you have:
Systolic vs. Diastolic Heart Failure
It is useful to know your ejection fraction if you have heart failure. Here’s what the ejection fraction numbers mean:
Treatment
Although left-sided heart failure cannot be cured, there are treatments to help manage it. Treatments are usually tailored depending on the cause of the heart failure. Treatments for left-sided heart failure include:
Left-sided heart failure is a frequent cause ofright-sided heart failure. However, other conditions can cause right-sided heart failure, including certain lung diseases likechronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseor pulmonary hypertension.
Symptoms of Right-Sided Heart FailureSymptoms of right-sided heart failure are similar to those of left-sided heart failure, although they can be more severe. These symptoms include:Weakness and fatigueShortness of breath, even after a short amount of activityEdema—swelling in the feet, ankles and legs, abdomen, and/or chestChest pain and/or discomfortIn addition, right-sided heart failure can produce symptoms related to congestion of the abdominal organs, and may cause more fluid retention than usually seen with left-sided heart failure. These symptoms include:Ascites(abdominal distention due to fluid accumulation)Poor appetiteNausea and vomitingSwelling in the lower backSwollen, painful liver
Symptoms of Right-Sided Heart Failure
Symptoms of right-sided heart failure are similar to those of left-sided heart failure, although they can be more severe. These symptoms include:Weakness and fatigueShortness of breath, even after a short amount of activityEdema—swelling in the feet, ankles and legs, abdomen, and/or chestChest pain and/or discomfortIn addition, right-sided heart failure can produce symptoms related to congestion of the abdominal organs, and may cause more fluid retention than usually seen with left-sided heart failure. These symptoms include:Ascites(abdominal distention due to fluid accumulation)Poor appetiteNausea and vomitingSwelling in the lower backSwollen, painful liver
Symptoms of right-sided heart failure are similar to those of left-sided heart failure, although they can be more severe. These symptoms include:
In addition, right-sided heart failure can produce symptoms related to congestion of the abdominal organs, and may cause more fluid retention than usually seen with left-sided heart failure. These symptoms include:
Treatments for right-sided heart failure will depend on its cause. Common treatments include:
Like left-sided heart failure, right-sided heart failure does not have a cure. However, you can use the various treatments to help manage it.
Heart failure is different fromcardiac arrest, a term used to describe when the heart stops beating.
Treatments for congestive heart failure include:
Doctors may monitor and treat other conditions that are linked to congestive heart failure, includingsleep apnea.
A Word From Verywell
Although heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped working completely, it is still a serious medical condition that requires medical attention and management. In addition to guidance from your doctor, you can make changes in your life to improve heart failure. For instance, you may plan to walk regularly for physical activity and make low-sodium food choices.
If you are not diagnosed with heart failure but have the symptoms of it, such as shortness of breath, let your doctor know.
Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease.This can limit blood flow to the heart and increase the chances of a heart attack.
Cardiologists often use the following groupings from the New York Heart Association to describe heart failure symptoms in stages C and D:
The warning signs of heart failure include:Coughing and wheezingFatigueShortness of breathSwelling around the ankles, legs, and thighsInability to do normal activities because you tire easilyIt is important to see a doctor to get the right diagnosis and receive any necessary treatments.
The warning signs of heart failure include:
It is important to see a doctor to get the right diagnosis and receive any necessary treatments.
What Are the Symptoms of Advanced-Stage Heart Failure?
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart failure.InformedHealth.org.Types of heart failure.University of Michigan Health.Heart failure types.Baptist Health.Left-sided heart failure.Cleveland Clinic.Ejection fraction.Cleveland Clinic.Heart failure: Understanding heart failure.Cleveland Clinic.Right-Sided Heart Failure.American Heart Association.Treatment options for heart failure.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Congestive heart failure: Prevention, treatment and research.Johns Hopkins Medicine. Congestive heart failure.Prevention, treatment, and research.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease.American Heart Association.Classes of heart failure.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart failure.InformedHealth.org.Types of heart failure.University of Michigan Health.Heart failure types.Baptist Health.Left-sided heart failure.Cleveland Clinic.Ejection fraction.Cleveland Clinic.Heart failure: Understanding heart failure.Cleveland Clinic.Right-Sided Heart Failure.American Heart Association.Treatment options for heart failure.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Congestive heart failure: Prevention, treatment and research.Johns Hopkins Medicine. Congestive heart failure.Prevention, treatment, and research.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease.American Heart Association.Classes of heart failure.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart failure.InformedHealth.org.Types of heart failure.University of Michigan Health.Heart failure types.Baptist Health.Left-sided heart failure.Cleveland Clinic.Ejection fraction.Cleveland Clinic.Heart failure: Understanding heart failure.Cleveland Clinic.Right-Sided Heart Failure.American Heart Association.Treatment options for heart failure.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Congestive heart failure: Prevention, treatment and research.Johns Hopkins Medicine. Congestive heart failure.Prevention, treatment, and research.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease.American Heart Association.Classes of heart failure.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart failure.
InformedHealth.org.Types of heart failure.
University of Michigan Health.Heart failure types.
Baptist Health.Left-sided heart failure.
Cleveland Clinic.Ejection fraction.
Cleveland Clinic.Heart failure: Understanding heart failure.
Cleveland Clinic.Right-Sided Heart Failure.
American Heart Association.Treatment options for heart failure.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Congestive heart failure: Prevention, treatment and research.
Johns Hopkins Medicine. Congestive heart failure.Prevention, treatment, and research.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease.
American Heart Association.Classes of heart failure.
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