Frequently
Asked Questions
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What does your doctor looks for?
Your doctor will review your medical history for
the presence of congestive heart failure risk
factors, especially a history of coronary heart
disease, hypertension, heart valve disorders,
congenital heart disorders, cardiomyopathy, myocardial
infarction and cardiac arrhythmias. Your doctor
will also ask for specific details about your
symptoms, including: how many blocks you can walk
without becoming short of breath, the number of
pillows you sleep on and how often you wake up
at night to urinate.
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How is heart failure diagnosed?
Your doctor will suspect that you have congestive
heart failure based on your symptoms and your
medical history. Additional evidence to support
this diagnosis will come from your physical examination
and from diagnostic testing. During your physical
examination, the doctor will check your vital
signs, determine your heart rate and rhythm and
listen for abnormal heart sounds with a stethoscope.
He or she will also listen to your lungs for abnormal
breathing sounds that signal fluid accumulation.
Your doctor will press on the skin of your legs
and ankles to check for edema, and he or she may
also palpate (feel) your abdomen to check the
size of your liver (fluid backup from the heart
may cause liver swelling).
Diagnostic testing usually includes an electrocardiogram
(ECG or "EKG"), together with a chest X-ray to
check for enlargement of the heart and fluid in
the lungs. Other diagnostic tests may be necessary
to establish the underlying cause of your congestive
heart failure. For example, echocardiography may
be performed to look for heart valve abnormalities,
abnormal movement of the heart wall (a sign of
myocardial infarction) or other cardiac abnormalities.
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