What are the common symptoms of right heart failure?

The symptoms of right heart failure often include weight gain and jugular venous distention. Right heart failure is associated with the inability of the right side of the heart to effectively pump blood to the lungs, which can lead to a build-up of fluid in the body due to increased venous pressure. This build-up can cause weight gain, as excess fluid accumulates.

Jugular venous distention occurs when there is increased pressure in the right atrium, leading to the visible bulging of the jugular veins in the neck. This is a classic sign of right heart failure and indicates that blood is not being effectively returned to the heart.

In contrast, other symptoms associated with heart failure tend to involve different mechanisms or may more commonly occur in left heart failure rather than right, such as frothy sputum, which is indicative of pulmonary edema, or signs of anxiety and dizziness that might occur due to decreased cardiac output or other factors not specific to right heart failure. Therefore, recognizing the specific signs such as weight gain and jugular venous distention is crucial for identifying right heart failure.