Condition : Heart failure

If you have sudden or very severe symptoms, such as chest pain and gasping for breath, call 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department.

Don’t delay, as you're more likely to suffer serious heart damage that means you need intensive care and a longer stay in hospital.

Heart failure is when your heart can’t pump blood around your body properly, usually because it’s become weak or stiff.

Acute heart failure is when symptoms develop quickly, while chronic heart failure develops gradually over weeks or months. Both types are a life-long condition that usually gets worse over time.

The main symptoms of heart failure are:

• breathlessness after activity or at rest
• feeling tired most of the time and finding exercise exhausting
• feeling lightheaded or fainting
• swollen ankles and legs (oedema)

You may also have a persistent cough, a fast heart rate, or dizziness. The symptoms of heart failure can mean you’re not able to do some activities.

It’s often difficult to forecast how the condition might progress as heart failure can be unpredictable. Some people may be able to manage the condition for many years, while others get worse very quickly.

Heart failure is more common in older people, but it can affect you at any age.

Heart failure may be caused by:

• clogged arteries (coronary heart disease)
• high blood pressure, as it can put extra strain on your heart
• conditions affecting your heart muscle (cardiomyopathy)
• heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias), such as atrial fibrillation
• damage or other problems with your heart valves
• birth defects that affect how your heart works (congenital heart disease)

Lifestyle factors, such as obesity, smoking, and drinking too much alcohol, can put you at increased risk of heart failure, and so can some conditions not linked directly to the heart, like diabetes, thyroid problems, and kidney disease.

Myths about heart disease and attacks

Myth: Heart disease is only caused by poor lifestyle.

Fact: As well as lifestyle, there are other factors that can influence heart disease (also known as cardiovascular disease or CVD), such as genetics (inherited conditions). It’s often unclear what causes heart disease, which means that all people, whatever shape, size, gender, or age, can be affected.

• Read our advice about staying fit

Myth: If heart disease runs in the family, there’s no way to prevent it.

Fact: A family history of heart disease means you may be at higher risk, but making healthy lifestyle changes can reduce that risk.

• Learn more about cardiovascular disease

Myth: You can have a 'minor heart attack'.

Fact: It’s true that heart attacks can vary in how much of the muscle is damaged, but it’s also true that a heart attack means you have heart disease and are at a higher risk of a second heart attack and other medical problems, so it’s important to improve long-term health to prevent further events.

• Learn more about heart attacks

Myth: I don’t need to have my blood pressure checked until there are warning signs.

Fact: You can have high blood pressure without any symptoms, which is why it’s called the ‘silent killer’. Early treatment can reduce the strain on your blood vessels and organs and reduce your risk of heart failure and other serious conditions, such as kidney disease and stroke.

• Learn more about high blood pressure

Myth: My legs ache when I walk just because I’m getting old.

Fact: Leg pain can be a symptom of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which is when blood supply to leg muscles is restricted by fatty deposits in the arteries. These blockages can affect other areas of your body, increasing the risk of serious health problems, including heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

• Learn more about peripheral arterial disease

British Heart Foundation (BHF) 

Information and support for people affected by heart and circulatory conditions 

• Visit British Heart Foundation (BHF)

Pumping Marvellous 

Support for people with heart failure and their family and carers 

• Visit Pumping Marvellous