Common symptoms of heart failure or chronic heart failure include shortness of breath, swelling of the ankles or belly, weight gain, tiredness, loss of appetite, dizziness and coughing.

There are a number of tests that your doctor can do to diagnose chronic heart failure.

• Echocardiogram
  This test uses ultrasound waves that come from a small hand piece placed on your chest wall. These waves bounce back to a detector and produce a picture of the heart as it beats, allowing your doctor to see the structure of your heart and how well it is working.
  
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  During an ECG test, electrical leads are placed on your chest, arms and legs. These leads detect small electrical signals and produce a tracing on graph paper that illustrate the electrical impulses travelling through the heart muscle.
  
• Angiogram
  This is a special X-ray that shows whether or not your coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked. Under a local anaesthetic, a small tube (catheter) is inserted into an artery in your arm or groin and guided into the heart. Dye is injected through the catheter into the coronary arteries and X-rays are taken. The X-rays give detailed information about the condition of these arteries. For more information, see coronary heart disease.
  
• Chest X-ray

For more information, call our Health Information Service on 1300 36 27 87 or email us.