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Heart failure doesn’t mean what you probably think it means: that your heart suddenly and catastrophically stops beating. Rather, it means that the heart is not as efficient as it once was and can’t deliver enough oxygen-rich blood as the body needs.
Since heart failure is a serious condition, it may sound like it should be easy to know if you have it. But that’s not always the case. Heart failure can be mild and shares symptoms with a number of other conditions, including a cold, the flu, depression, various cancers, and even premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
With that in mind, here are signs that may indicate heart failure.
Sources: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institut... + 9
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Heart Failure. March 24, 2022
- American Heart Association. Warning Signs of Heart Failure. May 29, 2025.
- American Heart Association. Types of Heart Failure. May 21, 2025.
- Schwinger RHG. Pathophysiology of heart failure. Cardiovasc Diagn Ther. 2021 Feb;11(1):263-276.
- Kemp CD, Conte JV. The pathophysiology of heart failure. Cardiovasc Pathol. 2012 Sep-Oct;21(5):365-71.
- MedlinePlus. Congestive Heart Failure. October 9, 2024.
- eMedicineHealth. Congestive Heart Failure Overview. Accessed May 22, 2026.
- Lip GY, Heinzel FR, et al. European Heart Rhythm Association/Heart Failure Association joint consensus document on arrhythmias in heart failure, endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society and the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society. Eur J Heart Fail. 2015 Sep;17(9):848-74.
- Sharma PS, Callans DJ. Treatment Considerations for a Dual Epidemic of Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure. J Atr Fibrillation. 2013 Aug 31;6(2):740.
- American Heart Association. Heart failure, atrial fibrillation & coronary heart disease linked to cognitive impairment. October 10, 2024.
