What are the clinical manifestations of right heart failure?
Disease description:
Recently, I have been feeling very short of breath, experiencing frequent nighttime urination, and having a poor appetite. After visiting the hospital, I was diagnosed with right-sided heart failure. I would like to understand what clinical manifestations are associated with right-sided heart failure.
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Tian Hongbo
Right heart failure is a severe manifestation of heart disease, primarily caused by dysfunction of the right ventricular pumping mechanism, leading to systemic congestion and a state of low perfusion. Its clinical manifestations mainly include the following:
1. Gastrointestinal symptoms: Chronic gastrointestinal congestion can lead to symptoms such as loss of appetite, abdominal distension, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and upper abdominal pain. These symptoms significantly affect patients' eating habits and quality of life.
2. Dyspnea: Patients may experience difficulty breathing at rest or after mild physical activity, which results from impaired blood return to the lungs.
3. Hepatic pain: Congestive liver enlargement stretches the liver capsule, causing a feeling of fullness and discomfort in the right upper quadrant and hepatic pain. Long-term liver congestion may lead to cardiogenic cirrhosis.
4. Jugular venous distention: Due to increased pressure in the superior vena cava system, marked jugular vein dilation can be observed.
5. Renal symptoms: Renal congestion causes renal dysfunction, manifested as reduced urine output during the day and increased nocturnal urination. Additionally, small amounts of proteinuria, a few hyaline or granular casts, red blood cells may be present, and blood urea nitrogen levels may rise.
