Heart Failure
Symptoms
Book an Appointment
Please enter your details below and include a brief summary of the problem and convenient days and times for you to see Dr Alsanjari privately.
Patients can be seen in
Candover Clinic or The Hampshire Clinic, Basingstoke.
We are now offering video consultations.
Cardiology Consultation
When the heart pumping action becomes less efficient, it is referred to as heart failure. The main symptom of heart failure is breathlessness, but ankle swelling and fatigue can also be important symptoms. Heart failure is more likely to occur if you have a history of heart problems. It is possible to develop heart failure if you have had a heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, or have a family history of heart problems. If you have been diagnosed with heart failure, there are a number of new and promising treatments that may help improve your symptoms and prognosis. To learn more, please use the contact page.
There are a number of tests used to help diagnose heart failure.
1. Blood Tests
If a person has heart failure, a natriuretic peptide test can help determine whether or not they are suffering from it. If the test is normal, it is unlikely that heart failure exists. In most cases, the results are available within a few days of the blood test.
2. Echocardiogram
This test visualizes the heart muscle and heart valves directly with the use of a probe and gel placed on the chest wall. Echocardiograms are also referred to as heart ultrasound tests. During this test, the heart is viewed on a screen with a probe and gel. It is completely painless and provides information on how efficiently it is working. It can also provide information about the heart valves. The results are available immediately, so you can make a quick diagnosis. The test is also be useful in the case of high blood pressure and a heart murmur.
3. Cardiac MRI
A magnetic resonance scan provides information about the heart and its valves as well as the degree of scarring of the heart if you have heart muscle disease or have had a previous heart attacks. It provides more information about the function of the heart and the valves. The patient is required to hold their breath periodically while lying in an enclosed space for 45 minutes to 1 hour.