Diagnosis

If you have symptoms of heart failure, your GP will ask you to describe them in detail.They willalsocarry outa physical examination.

If they think you could have heart failure, they may refer you to a hospital specialist for further tests.

Tests for heart failure

Tests you may have to diagnose heart failure include:

• blood tests to check whether there's anything in your blood that might indicate heart failure or another illness
• anelectrocardiogram (ECG) this records the electrical activity of your heartto check for problems
• anechocardiogram a type ofultrasound scan where sound waves are used to examine your heart
• breathing tests you may be asked to blow into a tube to check whether a lung problem is contributing to your breathlessness; common tests includespirometry and apeak flow test
• achest X-ray tocheck whether your heart is bigger than it should be, whether there is fluid in your lungs (a sign of heart failure), or whether a lung condition could be causing your symptoms

You can read more about tests for heart conditions on the British Heart Foundation website.

Stages of heart failure

When you're diagnosed with heart failure, your doctor will usually be able to tell you what stage it is.

The stagedescribes how severe your heart failure is. It's usually givenas a class from 1 to 4, with 1 being the least severe and 4 being the most severe:

• classI you don't have any symptoms during normal physical activity
• class II you're comfortable at rest, but normal physical activity triggers symptoms
• class IIIyou're comfortable at rest, but minor physical activity triggers symptoms
• class IV you'reunable to carry out any physical activity without discomfort and youmay have symptoms even when resting

Knowing the stage of your heart failurewill help your doctors decide which treatments they think are best for you.

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