Heart Failure Symptoms and Causes

Heart “failure” means the heart is not pumping effectively enough to meet the body’s needs for oxygen-rich blood. Often, a person with heart failure may have a buildup of fluid in the tissues, called edema. Heart failure edema is called congestive heart failure (CHF). It can occur gradually or suddenly, and there are more than 200 possible causes. Some mild forms of heart failure may be reversible, and people may live for many years after diagnosis. Our treatment is aimed at helping people with heart failure live a full life.

Types of Heart Failure and Causes

There are two main types of heart failure: systolic and diastolic. If you have systolic heart failure, the heart does not squeeze strong enough to pump oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. If you have diastolic heart failure, your heart squeezes normally, but the main pumping chamber is stiff and cannot relax properly. This means less blood can get into the heart and blood pressure increases in the lungs.

The causes of heart failure are other conditions that damage the heart, including:

• Coronary artery disease
• Diabetes
• Genetic factors
• Heart attack
• Heart valve disease
• High blood pressure
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Inflammation of heart muscle
• Kidney disease

Lifestyle factors can also play a role in risk, including:

• Smoking
• Drinking alcohol
• Being overweight or obese
• Leading a high-stress life

Patients with heart failure may find that their condition worsens over time, despite appropriate treatment. That can be an indication of advanced heart failure.

Heart Failure Symptoms

Common symptoms of heart failure include:

• Swelling
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath from simple activities
• Trouble breathing at rest
• Chest pain
• Coughing

These can be subtle and are easily mistaken for other illnesses so a heart failure diagnosis can be missed in the early stages. This unfortunately delays many people from seeing a cardiologist. Early diagnosis and treatment of heart failure gives you the best chance at prolonging your life.

Diagnosing Heart Failure

To test for and diagnose heart failure, your doctor will review your medical history, talk to you about your symptoms and perform a physical examination.

To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may order some of the following tests:

• Blood tests — These tests check for signs of diseases that can affect the heart.
• Chest X-ray — X-rays provide imagery that allows the doctor to check the state of your lungs and heart.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG) — In this test, electrodes are attached to the chest and are used to provide imagery of the heart pumping function and valve abnormalities.
• Echocardiogram and Cardiac MRI — These tests provide a more sophisticated, detailed image of the heart.
• Stress test — A stress test is used to provide insight into your heart health, specifically by measuring how it responds to exertion.

Diagnosing the cause and extent of a patient’s heart failure is vital. It may require virtually every cardiac diagnostic tool and depends on each patient’s needs. See our complete list of advanced cardiac diagnostic tools.

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association recognizes Froedtert Hospital and Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital with the Get With the Guidelines^® — Heart Failure Gold Plus achievement award.

In addition, the organization also recognizes Froedtert West Bend Hospital with Get With the Guidelines^® — Heart Failure Silver Plus award.

Why Choose Froedtert & MCW Facilities

The Comprehensive Heart Failure and Transplant Program offers comprehensive diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care for advanced heart failure and heart transplant patients. 

Our experienced team of specialists offers patients leading-edge treatment choices found only at an academic medical center. Froedtert Hospital's heart transplant program began in 1985 and is home to one of the fastest growing advanced heart failure and ventricular assist device programs in the state.

Caring for patients with advanced heart failure requires a host of expertise, resources, experience and compassion.

Our multidisciplinary team provides comprehensive treatment for the whole patient, including ventricular assist devices (VAD) and heart transplantation.

Comprehensive Heart Failure Treatment Options, Including VADs

A full spectrum of treatment options is offered including total artificial hearts and ventricular assist devices (VADs). We were awarded the Gold Seal of Approval by The Joint Commission for their Adult VAD Destination Therapy Program. We have one of the fastest growing advanced heart failure and VAD programs in the nation.

A VAD can serve as a “bridge” to those awaiting transplant, allowing them to return home while they wait for a donor heart. A VAD may also be the “destination” therapy, with no plans for a heart transplant. Learn more about VADs.

Extensive Heart Transplant Experience

Heart transplant patients can feel confident knowing that our heart care experts have been performing heart transplants since 1985. The team has extensive experience in transplant procedures, which have offered patient survival rates of 20 years and beyond.

This experience combines with the latest technology and techniques throughout the patient care experience to make possible the best patient outcomes. 

Our program was the first in Wisconsin to use CARDIOHELP, an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, machine, which is a portable machine for heart and lung support in very sick patients. The device maintains blood and oxygen circulation outside of the body for several hours or even days. Learn more about Heart Transplant

Excellent Follow-up Care Makes a Critical Difference

Close follow-up care is vital for anyone with heart failure. Sudden or gradual changes in a patient’s symptoms or their overall health can signal the need for adjustments to their therapy. We pay close attention to where our patients are in their disease and their treatment. Heart failure is a chronic disease requiring lifelong care, and our goal is to help our patients feel as good as they can for as long as they can.

A Progression of Therapy

The cause of heart failure helps determine the best treatment approach. For example, if the heart failure is caused by a valve disorder, then surgery is usually performed. If it is caused by a disease, such as anemia, then the disease is treated. Several other therapies may be tried before a VAD or heart transplant is considered, including: medical management; surgical procedures to correct underlying problems; and use of a biventricular pacemaker (cardiac resynchronization therapy) or implanted defibrillator device.

Expert Care for Even the Sickest Patients

Advanced heart failure patients often have other serious medical conditions that require expert care. As the only academic medical center in eastern Wisconsin, we have a vast array of experts and specialists who collaborate to deliver the best care possible for even the sickest patients. In fact, we often see patients who have been refused at other centers because the number of medical issues they face and the severity of their disease. Our specialists also see patients at our outreach clinics in Fond du Lac, Wis., and Sheboygan, Wis.

Research

Because we are a leading academic medical center, research is central to our work. Medical College of Wisconsin physicians are continually participating in and conducting significant research studies to further understand the causes of heart failure and identify innovative treatments. Our patients can participate in local and national clinical trials, which can give them access to the latest treatment options. By looking for new ways to treat heart failure, we may also be reducing the need for heart transplants.

Locations

The Comprehensive Heart Failure and Transplant Program is located in the Center for Advanced Care on the Froedtert Hospital campus.

Our specialists also see patients at our outreach clinics in Fond du Lac, Wis., and Sheboygan, Wis.