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If you have heart failure, your heart can’t pump enough blood to other tissues and organs in your body, or it requires higher pressure to pump the blood.
Your outlook and recommended treatment plan depend on the underlying cause of your heart failure as well as the severity of your condition.
Take a moment to learn about the different types of heart failure and how they may affect you.
Left-sided heart failure is the most common type of heart failure.
If you have left-sided heart failure, your heart can’t pump enough oxygenated blood from your lungs to the rest of your body, or there’s a higher pressure inside the heart because it’s stiffer.
This causes blood to back up in your pulmonary veins, which carry blood from your lungs to your heart.
Left-sided heart failure may cause symptoms that tend to worsen during physical activity. These symptoms include:
- fatigue
- shortness of breath
- difficulty breathing
- coughing
- swelling in the legs
There are two main subcategories of left-sided heart failure: diastolic and systolic. Both affect the lower left chamber of your heart, known as your left ventricle.
Diastolic heart failure
Diastolic heart failure is also known as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
According to a 2017 review, roughly half of people worldwide with heart failure have diastolic heart failure. And the number of individuals with this type of heart failure is increasing.
In this type of heart failure, the muscle of your left ventricle stiffens and can no longer relax properly. This prevents your heart from filling with enough oxygenated blood from your lungs to pump to the rest of your body.
HFpEF is often linked to obesity, poorly controlled hypertension, and diabetes.
Systolic heart failure
The same 2017 review estimates that the other half of people with heart failure have systolic heart failure. It’s also called heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
In this condition, the muscle of your left ventricle becomes weakened and can no longer contract properly. As a result, your heart doesn’t pump with enough force to push oxygenated blood through your body successfully.
HFrEF is usually linked to coronary artery disease or blockages in the arteries around the heart.
Right-sided heart failure is less common than left-sided heart failure.
It’s most commonly caused by damage to the right side of the heart due to left-sided heart failure. But it can be caused by other conditions, such as leaky heart valves.
If you have right-sided heart failure, your right ventricle can’t pump enough blood from your heart to be oxygenated by your lungs. As a result, the blood backs up in your veins.
This can push fluid from your veins into surrounding tissues, which may cause swelling in your feet, ankles, legs, or abdomen. Fluid buildup may lead to weight gain.
Right-sided heart failure may also cause:
- fatigue
- increased urination
- loss of appetite
- nausea
- weight gain
- swelling of the legs
Biventricular heart failure affects both sides of your heart. It can cause symptoms of both right-sided and left-sided heart failure, such as:
- fatigue
- shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or coughing
- swelling in your ankles, legs, abdomen, or other body parts
- increased urination
- loss of appetite
- nausea
- weight gain
Many people with heart failure can start out with left-sided heart failure and go on to develop biventricular heart failure. This is due to the effects of left-sided heart failure on the right side of the heart.
Congestive heart failure is a condition that results from heart failure on the right side, left side, or both sides of your heart.
It happens when blood that’s returning to your heart from your body gets backed up, or the pressure in the heart is higher. This causes fluid to build up in your tissues.
Common symptoms of congestive heart failure include:
- edema, or swelling that tends to develop in the feet, ankles, or legs
- shortness of breath
- difficulty breathing
- fatigue
The symptoms of congestive heart failure may get worse over time. To manage symptoms and limit fluid buildup, it’s important to follow your recommended treatment plan.
When heart failure develops over the course of multiple months or years, it’s called chronic heart failure. Most cases of heart failure are chronic.
Chronic heart failure may result from other chronic health conditions or risk factors that weaken or damage your heart.
The odds of developing chronic heart failure increase if you have:
- high blood pressure
- coronary artery disease
- heart valve problems
- congenital heart defects
- severe lung disease
- diabetes
- obesity
- sleep apnea
The symptoms of chronic heart failure tend to develop gradually and can be subtle.
It’s important to pay attention to small changes in exercise tolerance and report them to your doctor. Getting early treatment can help improve your outlook.
When heart failure develops suddenly, it’s called acute heart failure. This type of heart failure is less common than chronic heart failure.
Some potential causes of acute heart failure include:
- heart attack
- infection or inflammation of your heart
- side effects from certain medications
- drug or alcohol misuse
- genetics
- blood clots that develop in the pulmonary artery
The symptoms of acute heart failure may develop quickly, over the course of a few hours or days. Common symptoms include:
- fatigue
- shortness of breath
- edema (swelling) in the limbs
- chest pain
- shortness of breath when lying down
- needing extra pillows to sleep on
Acute heart failure is often a life threatening condition. If you think you’re experiencing symptoms of acute heart failure, it’s essential to get treatment right away.
If you have heart failure that suddenly worsens, it’s known as decompensated heart failure.
Decompensated heart failure often causes fluid to build up in your tissues. This may cause sudden swelling in your ankles, legs, or other body parts. It may also cause sudden weight gain.
If you experience sudden swelling, weight gain, or other new or worsened symptoms of heart failure, talk with a healthcare professional right away.
Getting immediate treatment for decompensated heart failure is important to improve outlook.
Heart failure may affect the right side, left side, or both sides of your heart. It may change and gradually worsen over time.
To treat heart failure, your healthcare professional may prescribe medications, surgery, or other treatments.
They may also advise you to make changes to your diet, fluid intake, exercise routine, or other lifestyle habits. This may help you lead a longer and healthier life with heart failure.
If you notice changes in your symptoms or overall health, let a healthcare professional know.
Contact them right away if you experience sudden weight gain, swelling in your legs, or other sudden changes in your symptoms.