Symptoms of Advanced Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive Heart failure impairs the heart's ability to pump effectively. A number of factors can lead to the development of heart failure, and early treatment can decrease the chance that heart failure will occur.

Heart failure ranges in severity from a moderate function impairment to serious damage, where the heart is incapable of managing its workload. Congestive heart failure, when diagnosed early, can be managed with proper treatment, medications, and lifestyle changes.

What are the Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure?

Symptoms of heart failure may include:

• weakness


• lightheadedness, or dizziness


• rapid heart rate while at rest


• easily fatigued and unable to tolerate activity


• skin is cool, pale, sweaty, and sometimes blue-grey


• swelling or edema in the organs, abdomen, legs, or lungs

How is CHF diagnosed?

Heart failure is diagnosed by: Getting the patient's health history and thorough physical examination

Diagnostic tests -

• Electrocardiogram (ECG)


• Echocardiogram


• Stress Test


• Heart catheterization (PTCA)


• CT Scan


• MRI

How To Know the Severity

Two classification systems:

Classification of severity — A classification system was developed to gauge how much a person is impaired by their HF. Patients are designated to one of four functional classes, depending on the degree of effort needed to bring forth symptoms.

Class I - symptoms of HF only at activity levels that would limit normal individuals Class II - symptoms of HF with ordinary exertion Class III - symptoms of HF with less than ordinary exertion Class IV - symptoms of HF at rest

Stages of HF — The progression of Heart Failure consists of four stages:

Stage A — High risk for HF, without structural heart disease or symptoms Stage B — Heart disease with asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction Stage C — Prior or current symptoms of heart failure Stage D — Advanced heart disease and severely symptomatic or refractory heart failureThis staged system punctuates the progressive nature of heart failure and defines the appropriate therapeutic approach for each stage.

Over time, symptoms develop gradually and may include:

• fatigue


• weakness


• inability to perform usual activities


• weight gain


• swelling of the abdomen


• edema

Patients may also exhibit nausea and a poor appetite. Some people develop extremely high pressures in the blood vessels in the lungs, resulting in shortness of breath, in addition to pain and pressure in the chest.

What is the Treatment for Congestive Heart Failure?

There are two goals of treatment: To correct and/or slow disease progression of congestive heart failure and managing decreased heart function.

by Barb Hicks, RN/LMT