Heart Failure Symptoms in Men

The importance of any organ in our body is best understood when it stops functioning correctly. This is also true for the heart. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart's pumping action weakens progressively. As a result over time, the heart shows its incapability in circulating blood in the normal range, necessary to run various bodily functions. Coronary artery diseases, damaged heart valves or heart muscles and high blood pressure are some of the common causes of heart failure.

Heart failure, more commonly referred to as congestive heart failure (CHF) can be categorized as left-sided heart failure or right-sided heart failure depending on which area of the heart is not functioning properly. In case, the left ventricle of the heart is unable to contract as it should, the medical terminology used to describe this condition is referred as systolic heart failure.

Symptoms

Fluid Build up in the Extremities
As the heart becomes ineffective in pumping sufficient quantity of blood, it leads to poor blood circulation in various parts of the body including the kidneys. With the change in blood flow, the kidneys prompt the body to hold fluids within its tissues. This causes accumulation of fluid in the extremities, leading to swelling of ankles and feet.

Heart Palpitations
The weak pumping action of heart can cause arrhythmia. Normal beating pattern of the heart changes drastically. Slow, fast or skipped heartbeat are some of the arrhythmia symptoms.

Difficulty Breathing
Heart failure can also interfere with the most essential activity needed for survival - breathing. Shortness of breath is likely to occur in patients diagnosed with heart failure. Breathing problems may aggravate when doing strenuous exercises. As the heart problem worsens, the person shows inability to tolerate exercise. Even mild to moderate level physical activity can be a cause of great discomfort. As the heart is unable to maintain a constant blood pressure, the blood has a tendency to back up in various parts of the body including the lungs. This abnormal tendency of blood backing up leads to accumulation of fluids in the lungs, eventually making it difficult to breathe properly. Dry cough often occurs as a consequence of fluid build up in the lungs.

Abdominal Bloating
Abdominal bloating followed by swelling of the legs is one of the most common right-sided heart failure symptoms. Fluid back up due to heart failure can no longer be restricted to lungs only. The stomach, one of the most important organs of the digestive system also becomes the site of fluid back up, which may lead to abdominal bloating (feeling of fullness). As a result, the desire to eat food may diminish considerably.

Dizziness
The reduced pumping ability of the heart is likely to decrease the blood flow to the brain, causing lightheadedness. The reduction in blood supply to the brain can also hamper the thinking ability. Thus, the skill of solving problems at home or office may take a backseat.

Low Sex Drive
This happens because the main genital organs are deprived of sufficient blood circulation. Due to poor blood flow to the genitals, men lose focus on the sexual side of their relationship. Sexual boredom because of erectile dysfunction is often the result of heart failure problems in men.

Weakness
Men suffering from heart failure symptoms also generalized weakness. The reduced blood flow to various parts of the body cause a dip in energy levels. A persistent feeling of weakness which is in no way similar to everyday fatigue is associated with heart failure. It is a stubborn type of fatigue that simply does not respond to rest.

In the early stages of heart failure, symptoms that appear are not severe, as there is not much disturbance in blood circulation. However, as the heart's incompetence to supply blood increases, the body is unable to adjust with this substantially reduced pumping action of the heart. As a result, the symptoms aggravate, which require urgent medical attention. Diagnosis of congestive heart failure in men will be made after examining the patient thoroughly to check for heart failure symptoms in men. Apart from physical examination, the patient will have to undergo certain tests such as chest X-ray and electrocardiogram to ascertain the underlying cause of heart failure. Based on the test results, the doctor will decide an appropriate treatment plan to improve heart health.