Breathlessness, Edema In Limbs, Done Echocardiogram, Family History Of CHF

Posted on Tue, 13 Sep 2011

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 Answered on

Mon, 4 Jun 2012 Last reviewed on

Question : I have severe edema in legs, ankles,feets and,just recently in both arms. Occassional shortness of breath lying flat. Shortness of breath when bending over. I had a normal echocardiogram. I have a lenghty family history of CHF. Does a normal echo rule out CHF?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (4 hours later)

Hello
Thanks for writing to us.
Your symptoms are highly suggestive of a congestive heart failure. A normal echocardiogram does not rule out congestive heart failure. Echocardiogram is an important investigation to detect early morphological changes in heart and ejection fraction during heart failure. But heart failure is mainly diagnosed based on the symptomatology and is treated accordingly. Your symptoms might happen due to renal problem or lung diseases also. Detailed investigations are needed to find out the cause.
You definitely need to consult your physician for proper diagnosis and treatment.
I hope my answer and recommendations are adequate and helpful. Waiting for your further follow up queries if any.
Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T