• Accumulation of fluids in the body.
• Unusual fatigue.
• Shortness of breath.

• A blood clot in the heart
• Hypertension
• Contraction in the coronary arteries
• Heart valve failure
• Heart rhythm disorders
• Congenital heart diseases
• Alcoholism
• Metabolic disorders
• Diabetes
• Infections

A life with heart failure means making small changes in everyday life but for the vast most majority it also means having more energy in everyday life when receiving treatment. You can make many of these small changes yourself, when diagnosed with heart failure.

The most important changes to make are:

• Live healthily
• Exercise
• Avoid smoking
• Drink only a limited amount of alcohol

Exercise is important because an improved fitness strengthens muscle power, reduces difficulty breathing and generally provides a greater well-being. Choose the exercise form that suits you best and start out slowly if you are not used to exercise.

Many experience having a decreased appetite but the body may have an increased need for protein and calories. You should eat healthy and nourishing food to avoid using up the proteins in your muscles.

Many experience an increased thirst but, because of the reduced pumping efficiency of your heart, your body cannot metabolize a great intake of fluids. It is recommended that you reduce the daily intake of fluids.

Both physical and mental fatigue, accumulation of fluids in the body and shortness of breath are the most common symptoms of heart failure. It is not uncommon to experience sleep problems since it can be difficult to breathe when lying down. It can indicate that your condition has deteriorated if you have to sit upright when you sleep - it is important to react on this!

It is important that you take part in your treatment, e.g. take your medicine as prescribed and monitor your weight by weighing yourself at least 2 times a week on the same scales. Please contact the clinic, if you gain weight. It is vital to pay attention to the signals your body is sending you and react to new or deteriorating symptoms.

To live your life with heart failure it is imperative that your general practitioner and the hospital work closely together and that you speak openly about the problems or side effects that you experience.

It may help to share your thoughts and feelings with others. Do not lose courage because you have heart failure - you can live for a long time with a heart that has reduced pumping efficiency, if you take good care of it.

As a patient recently diagnosed with heart failure, you will be offered regular consultations in our Heart Failure Clinic, to ensure you the best possible treatment. The treatment is planned individually to fit your needs, and it is up to you for how long you require consultations in the clinic. Each consultation includes measurements of blood pressure, pulse and weight, and we discuss the symptoms you experience and how the medicine affects you. In addition, your blood samples will be monitored frequently and often closer to your visit, so you will get your results at the consultation.

The Clinic is staffed by cardiac nurses, who work closely with consultants in cardiology. You will see the same nurse at every consultation.

You can be diagnosed with heart failure after an ultrasound examination of your heart (echocardiography), which is then backed up by other relevant tests. The pumping efficiency of the heart is measured in EF (ejection fraction), stated in percentages and a term for the amount of blood that is pumped out into circulation at every pulse beat from the left ventricle. A healthy and fully functioning heart has an EF of 60%. Heart failure is diagnosed at an EF of < 45%.

The medicine will be adjusted to your condition and your general health continuously. The medicine will relieve your heart and slow the development of heart failure. The treatment increases the quality of life and prolongs life.

Side effects may occur, but the alternative - that you do not take your medicine - is worse. Your body will slowly get used to the medicine, which is why the medicine is continuously adjusted and increased gradually. It is important that you do not stop taking the medicine abruptly.