To gauge the severity of this symptom, doctors often ask people how many pillows they need to lie on to avoid feeling short of breath in bed. For example, "three-pillow" orthopnea is worse than "two-pillow" orthopnea, because you have less tolerance for lying flat. The reason you may have orthopnea is that when you lie flat, the blood that ordinarily pools in the veins of your legs is reentering your bloodstream. If you have heart failure, your heart may not be able to keep up with the increased amount of blood returning to the heart, so fluid builds up inside the lungs and causes shortness of breath.
Shortness of breath while sleeping. Some people with heart failure wake up in the middle of the night with severe shortness of breath. The medical term for this symptom is paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea PND. In general, people who experience PND don't feel increased shortness of breath when they first lie down. But after several hours of lying down, they awake with shortness of breath, which often occurs suddenly.
People who experience PND often have to sit up on the side of the bed, and they may feel a need to open a window to get more air. The shortness of breath generally goes away after a few minutes of sitting up.
You might also have low exercise capacity. This can be harder to describe. It is a symptom that people with heart failure often don't even notice because they have gradually reduced the level at which they exert themselves. For example, they may stop walking up the stairs, or they may drive to the store instead of walking. Some people at first deny that they have been experiencing this symptom.
It is only after doctors ask them about changes in their activities that they realize they have been avoiding physical exertion. This decrease in your ability to exert yourself physically is what doctors call low exercise capacity.
People with heart failure often experience swelling in their ankles or feet. You might notice that:. In turn, you may experience breathlessness during exercise or other activities. As the condition worsens, shortness of breath may occur when at rest or asleep.
These periods of breathlessness may leave you feeling exhausted and anxious. Fatigue As heart failure becomes more severe, the heart is unable to pump the amount of blood required to meet all of the body's needs. To compensate, blood is diverted away from less-crucial areas, including the arms and legs, to supply the heart and brain. As a result, people with heart failure often feel weak especially in their arms and legs , tired and have difficulty performing ordinary activities such as walking, climbing stairs or carrying groceries.
Chronic Cough or Wheezing The fluid buildup in the lungs may result in a persistent cough or wheezing, that may produce phlegm a thick, mucous-like substance that may be tinged with blood. Rapid or Irregular Heartbeat The heart may speed up to compensate for its failing ability to adequately pump blood throughout the body. Patients may feel a fluttering in the heart palpitations or a heartbeat that seems irregular or out of rhythm. This often is described as a pounding or racing sensation in the chest.
Lack of Appetite or Nausea When the liver and digestive system become congested they fail to receive a normal supply of blood. This can make you feel nauseous or full, even if you haven't eaten.
Mental Confusion or Impaired Thinking Abnormal levels of certain substances, such as sodium, in the blood and reduced blood flow to the brain can cause memory loss or disorientation, which you may or may not be aware of. Fluid Buildup and Swelling Because blood flow to the kidneys is restricted, the kidneys produce hormones that lead to salt and water retention. This causes swelling, also called edema, that occurs most often in the feet, ankles and legs.
Rapid Weight Gain The fluid build-up throughout the body, may cause you to gain weight quickly. For example: Heart Grows Larger The muscle mass of the heart grows in an attempt to increase its pumping power, which works for a while. Enter your details below and the details of the person you'd like to send this page to and we'll email them the link. Shortness of breath is a common symptom for many people with heart failure.
You should monitor your breathing and be aware of any changes. For example, you may find that in a matter of days or weeks the distance you can walk before shortness of breath appears has diminished. You may also notice increasing shortness of breath at night and while lying flat. You may need more pillows to prop up your upper body, in this case to allow for easier breathing. When a valve is diseased and does not shut completely it allows blood to leak backwards this is termed regurgitation and when severe enough may also lead to shortness of breath.
Valvular heart disease is easily diagnosed with a thorough physical exam and tests such as an Echocardiogram. Treatment of heart valve disease is more successful if instituted early, before patients develop cardiomyopathy and other irreversible effects of valvular heart disease like lung disease. Pericarditis The pericardium has two thin layers of tissue that surround the heart, and inflammation of the tissue is called pericarditis. If you have pericarditis, you may experience chest pain and shortness of breath.
Viral infections and autoimmune disorders can cause pericarditis. Pericarditis typically resolves on its own, but may be severe or become chronic, it is important to identify and treat the underlying cause. To learn more about how you can keep your heart healthy, please reach out to us by phone or request an appointment online at one of our three locations in Beltsville, Bowie, and Columbia, Maryland.
You can also send a message to Dr. Djamson and his team. A heart health checkup can put you on the right track toward better overall health, especially by checking for often-undiagnosed high blood pressure. Controlling high blood pressure is one of the most serious components of keeping you healthy. Loss of balance is the most well-known symptom of vertigo, and it can be a major disruption to your daily life, getting in the way of your productivity and well-being.
Vestibular stimulation is therapy that works with your brain to reduce symptoms. Everyone should be concerned about their heart health.
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