Left sided heart failure / right sided heart failure

  What is the difference between left and right sided heart failure? Are the
  symptoms the same? Can a person have both kinds?  Is one more
  treatable than the other? Just got curious after reading some posts.
  I have CHF but have not ever asked what kind. Thanks for your time.
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Dear Lisa,
Thank you for your excellent question.  Right sided failure is due to failure of the right ventricle.  Symptoms include swelling, fluid accumulation in the lungs and increased in liver size.  The most common cause of right heart failure is left heart failure.  Left heart failure is due to failure of the left ventricle.  Symptoms are similar to right sided failure but there may be less swelling.  Causes of left heart failure include coronary artery blockages, valvular problems and idiopathic (unknown).
I hope you find this information useful.  Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only.  Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies.  Please feel free to write back with additional questions.
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter.  The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.