Contributing 

Can heart problems cause body swelling?

Leia Doyle

Can heart problems cause body swelling?

Congestive heart failure. If you have congestive heart failure, one or both of your heart’s lower chambers lose their ability to pump blood effectively. As a result, blood can back up in your legs, ankles and feet, causing edema. Congestive heart failure can also cause swelling in your abdomen.

What are the symptoms of heart swelling?

Symptoms of an enlarged heart

  • breathing problems.
  • shortness of breath.
  • dizziness.
  • irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
  • heart palpitations.
  • fluid retention.

Can coronary heart disease cause swelling?

The increased pressure inside the veins can push fluid out of the veins into surrounding tissue. This can cause edema (swelling) in the legs, and if heart failure is advanced, there may be edema in the abdomen or liver.

How long can you live with enlarged heart?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around one-half of all people diagnosed with congestive heart failure will survive beyond five years.

Can heart enlargement be cured?

Depending on the condition, an enlarged heart may be temporary or permanent. An enlarged heart may be treatable by correcting the cause. Treatment for an enlarged heart can include medications, medical procedures or surgery.

What is heart cough?

While most people associate coughing as a common symptom that accompanies lung or respiratory issues, its connection to heart failure often goes unnoticed. This is called a cardiac cough, and it often happens to those with congestive heart failure (CHF).

What are the symptoms of end stage congestive heart failure?

The symptoms of end-stage congestive heart failure include dyspnea, chronic cough or wheezing, edema, nausea or lack of appetite, a high heart rate, and confusion or impaired thinking. Learn about the hospice eligibility requirements for end-stage heart failure.

How can you tell if your heart is swollen?

While there are often no direct symptoms associated with an enlarged heart, you might experience shortness of breath, heart palpitations or an irregular heartbeat, and weight gain or swelling of the body and/or legs. Experts note that detecting an enlarged heart is easy with MRI, CT scans, ultrasound, EKGs , and X-rays . [2]

What causes swelling around the heart?

The swelling occurs because the heart is too weak to pump blood around the body properly, so the blood gathers in front of the heart. Due to the increased blood pressure in the veins, the fluid leaks out into the surrounding tissue.

Are swollen ankles a sign of heart problem?

Sometimes swelling can indicate a problem such as heart, liver, or kidney disease . Ankles that swell in the evening could be a sign of retaining salt and water because of right-sided heart failure. Kidney disease can also cause foot and ankle swelling. When kidneys don’t work properly, fluid can build up in the body.

What causes swelling in congestive heart failure?

Congestive heart failure can also cause swollen feet and legs, as well as swelling in the abdomen. It can be caused by too many fluids being retained in the body and the chest. As the heart pumps blood less efficiently, even more fluids are retained and the condition worsens.