The symptoms of congestive heart failure vary with the severity of the disease.

Symptoms of mild congestive heart failure include:

• Loss of appetite
• Mild fatigue:
• Fatigue during exercise
• Urinary frequency:
• Urinating more often at night

Symptoms of moderate congestive heart failure include:

• Moderate fatigue:
• Worse with exercise
• Nighttime cough
• Difficulty breathing:
• Shortness of breath when lying flat
• Shortness of breath with exercise
• Waking at night with shortness of breath
• Leg swelling (bilateral):
• Ankle swelling (bilateral)
• Foot swelling (bilateral)
• Wheezing

Symptoms of serious congestive heart failure include:

• Palpitations: abnormal heart beats
• Fainting
• Severe difficulty breathing:
• Shortness of breath at rest
• Severe shortness of breath with exertion
• Severe shortness of breath when lying flat
• Severe leg swelling (bilateral):
• Severe ankle swelling (bilateral)
• Severe foot swelling (bilateral)
• Severe fatigue
• Worsening wheezing
• Rapid breathing rate

Age	Upper Normal	Abnormal
6mo - 1 year	40 breaths per min	60 breaths per min
1 - 3 years	30 breaths per min	50 breaths per min
4 - 5 years	28 breaths per min	45 breaths per min
5 - 6 years	26 breaths per min	40 breaths per min
6 - 12 years	24 breaths per min	30 breaths per min
Over 12 years	20 breaths per min	25+ breaths per min