Treatments, such as medications and healthier lifestyles, can help people with heart failure live longer, more active lives. trouble navigating the health care system.depression, fear, insomnia, and isolation.In addition, people in the final stages of heart failure may suffer from: Increased heart rate, feeling like your heart is racing or throbbing.Thinking difficulties, confusion, memory loss, feelings of disorientation.Weight gain or swelling (edema) of the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen, or neck veins.The cough may be worse at night or when lying down. In the final stages of heart failure, people feel breathless both during activity and at rest. It causes fluid to build up in the body, which produces many of these symptoms: Heart failure worsens over time, so symptoms are most severe during the final stages. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Heart Association, National Institutes of Health. The leading causes of heart failure are diseases that damage the heart, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Most people with end-stage heart failure have a life expectancy of less than 1 year.Ĥ. About half of people who develop heart failure die within 5 years of diagnosis.ģ. What are the Symptoms of End-Stage Heart Failure?ġ. However, the severity of their symptoms can fluctuate over days or hours. Over time, patients will reach the final stages of heart failure.ĭuring these late stages, the person feels breathless even while resting. However, heart failure is a chronic condition with no cure. Various treatments can help people manage these symptoms and slow the disease’s progression. At that point, the person may start experiencing fatigue, breathing difficulties, and other issues. (As a result, many people are not even aware they have a problem during the early stages of heart failure.)ĭespite these adjustments, heart failure will continue to worsen, and the body will eventually be unable to compensate for the lack of blood flow. The body also changes, narrowing blood vessels and diverting blood from certain organs. Over time, the condition causes other damage to the body.Īt first, the heart compensates for its weakness by changing: it may stretch, enlarge, and pump faster. Heart failure is a gradual weakening of the heart, which prevents the heart from pumping as well as it should. Even in the final stages of heart failure, proper care can keep people comfortable and help them make the most of their remaining time. Treatments and lifestyle changes can help people live well with heart failure and delay its progression. By knowing what to expect, you’ll be able to make the best decisions about your care and ensure that your needs and wishes are met. If you or a loved one have heart failure, it’s important to plan for the future.

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