What is heart failure?
Heart failure means that your heart can’t fill with blood or pump blood to the rest of your body as well as it should. Blood and fluids back up, which may cause swelling in your belly, legs, hands, and feet and make you gain weight. You may feel tired, dizzy, or short of breath, especially at night or when you lie down. Too much fluid in your lungs may make you cough. It can be caused by narrowing of arteries that carry blood to the heart, high blood pressure, heart muscle damage from a heart attack, or diseases of the heart muscle or valves. Chronic lung disease and pregnancy may put you at higher risk. 
How will my health care provider know I have heart failure? By taking a medical history, performing a physical exam, and ordering blood tests, a painless echocardiogram, and a stress test to see how well your heart works. You don’t need to be hospitalized for these tests. He may order cardiac catheterization (in the hospital) to look at blood flow and pressures in your heart and to take a closer look at the valves and pumping action. It involves putting dye in your blood and taking X-ray pictures as the dye travels. 
How will my health care provider treat my heart failure? You’ll need need to make lifestyle changes - getting more exercise and changing eating habits. You may need to take medicine. He may suggest an exercise plan that won’t make you too tired or strain your heart. Follow the diet he recommends. Avoid fats (shortening, butter, and margarine) - olive and vegetable oil are okay in small amounts. Avoid fried foods - eat baked or broiled foods. Stay away from foods with more than 400 mg of salt (sodium) per serving. Don’t eat more than 2 grams (less than a tsp) of salt per day. Don’t drink more than two alcoholic drinks a day if you’re a man, or more than one if you’re a woman. If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, keep your blood pressure and blood sugar under control. If you’re overweight, lose weight - it causes high blood pressure and makes your heart work harder. If you smoke - quit! Join a heart failure support group to help you deal with these changes. Ask family members to support you during treatment.
When should I call my health care provider? Notify your health care provider immediately if:
• you feel bloated or dizzy
• your heart beats faster than normal or you have chest pain
• you feel more tired or short of breath than usual
• you gain 2 or more pounds within a few days, which may indicate fluid
buildup. Weigh yourself each day at the same time and record it.
Source: Nursing 2004