Are there different symptoms for left and right heart failure if so what is the prognosis/survival rate?
Yes, heart failure can be either left or right or a combination of the two. Cardiac failure is decreased cardiac output due to the heart not pumping blood sufficiently around the body. This can be due to various causes. Left heart failure is generally cause by hypertension, aortic valve disease and coronary artery disease. Depending on the severity, with left ventricular failure fluid will build up in the lungs due to congestion of the veins in the lungs. Due to the increased venous pressure, symptoms include dyspnoea (in acute pulmonary oedema people are generally anxious, pale and sweating), a dry cough, shortness of breath and weakness. Right heart failure is usually due to chronic lung disease, pulmonary valve disease and congenital defects. Right ventricular failure symptoms are increased venous pressure which results in oedema in the body- particularly in the legs and other organs. Fluid can also accumulate in the abdominal cavity. Failure on both sides often leads to bivenricula
