Shortness of Breath
Shortness of breath happens when you can’t seem to draw in enough oxygen to meet your body’s demand. It can cause tightness in the chest and make each breath feel strained. In some cases, the body starts to inhale and exhale rapidly, drawing a new breath before completing the last exhale.
Shortness of breath can make it difficult to perform normal physical activity. In some cases, even climbing the stairs can be so taxing. It often intensifies when you lie flat on your back. Fluid in the lungs makes it hard for carbon dioxide in the blood to be exchanged with fresh oxygen.
This condition may be a sign of heart failure. Shortness of breath caused by heart failure may be sudden and severe, sometimes co-occurring with a cough that produces a pink, foamy mucus. [3]
Sudden, Unintentional Weight Gain
Heart failure may cause a person to suddenly gain weight. This happens even when the person’s food or drink consumption has not increased and there’s been no decrease in their physical activity. It typically happens due to increased fluid retention, constipation or pregnancy.
In people with heart failure, fluid retention is often the cause. [4]
Loss of Appetite
Loss of appetite or loss of interest in food is often caused by an underlying medical condition. It can be a sign of heart failure. This is because heart failure causes less blood to flow throughout the body. Less blood flow in the digestive system can cause problems with digestion, making you uncomfortable or unappealing to eat food.