Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

What Are The Signs and Symptoms of CHF?

• Coughing or wheezing.
• Swelling of arms, ankles, feet, abdomen or lower back.
• Shortness of breath (also called dyspnea) with everyday activity.
• Needing to sleep with extra pillows or in an upright position.
• Rapid weight gain due to swelling of the feet, ankles, legs or stomach.

• Chest x-ray.
• Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) - the use of electrodes, plastic shaped discs, placed on the body to measure the electrical impulses of the heart.
• Echocardiogram (echo) - the use of sound waves to examine the heart's structure and motion of the heart. It measures the ejection fraction: the amount of blood the left side of the heart is pumping with each beat.
• MUGA Scan (Multiple-gated acquisition scanning) - requires the injection of a dye into a vein to take a picture of the heart as it pumps the blood.

For More Information on Signs and Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure: Signs and Symptoms

Source: American Heart Association 2005