You will need to learn to watch for changes in your heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, and weight. Your doctor will talk to you about knowing your body and symptoms that mean your heart failure is getting worse. Your doctor can also use this test to find out why you have heart failure, and then monitor your condition going forward every three to six months. A test called an echocardiogram is often the best test to diagnose your heart failure. Your doctor will check for these and other signs of heart failure. You may have trouble breathing, an irregular heartbeat, swollen legs, neck veins that stick out, and sounds from fluid built up in your lungs. So, how do you know if you have heart failure? Get to your doctor. The most common cause of heart failure is coronary artery disease, the narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to your heart. As the heart loses the ability to pump blood, blood backs up in other parts of your body, including your lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and your arms and legs. When you have heart failure, your heart cannot pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body, especially when you exercise or move around a lot.
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You have heart failure when your heart does not pump blood out of your heart very well, or when your heart muscles are stiff and do not easily fill up with blood. However, it can develop suddenly, for instance, after a heart attack. Heart failure is a long-term condition that usually comes on slowly. If you cough a lot, often feel weak, have lost your appetite, and need to urinate a lot at night, you might have symptoms of heart failure.