1. Acute heart failure is a rapid weakening of the heart’s ability to supply blood to the body
Typical symptoms
Breathlessness
Leg or ankle swelling
Extreme fatigue
Often a life-threatening medical emergency
Underlying problem(s) with the heart’s structure or function, e.g.
Enlarged ventricles
Thickened ventricular muscle
Stiffened ventricle walls
Poorly functioning valves
Relaxation
Contraction
Ventricular muscle
Right atrium
Right ventricle
Left atrium
Left ventricle
Aorta
Notes
Very simply, heart failure occurs when the heart is no longer able to pump blood properly.
Usually, people with heart failure are breathless. They may have leg swelling or ankle swelling and they often feel tired.
At times, heart failure can be a life-threatening medical emergency and patients need to be admitted to hospital for urgent care.
Nearly anything that can damage the heart can lead to heart failure, whether it affects the ventricles (the main pumping chambers), the valves or the heart rhythm.