The main symptom of heart failure is breathlessness. This, together with some other common symptoms are explained below.

Breathlessness
Breathlessness might occur, or become more noticeable, when walking or exerting yourself.

People with more severe heart failure might experience breathlessness when resting and may notice that this gets worse when they lie flat. During the night, you may wake and feel an urgent need to sit up and get a breath in. A cough and a frothy spit can also accompany the breathlessness.

Tiredness and lethargy
Tiredness and lethargy are also common symptoms of heart failure. This is a result of poor blood flow to the body organs including the muscles.

Leg swelling
People with heart failure have a tendency to retain fluid. This appears as swollen ankles and legs because of excess fluid building up.
You may notice that your shoes don’t fit and socks appear tight or leave a prominent indent above the ankle.

Loss of appetite
People with heart failure can also notice a loss of appetite. This is because the liver and stomach can become enlarged, due to excess fluid, making you feel sick (nausea) and have a loss of appetite.