Heart failure is a serious condition but it does not actually mean that your heart has failed.  It means that your heart is not pumping blood around your body very efficiently.  Heart failure can affect the left side of your heart, the right side, or both.  The symptoms and effects on your body will depend on the side that is affected.

Symptoms of heart failure can be severe.  But it can be treated, allowing you to control the effects of the condition and continue to live a normal life.  Heart failure can be caused by a number of other conditions, such as high blood pressure or a heart attack.  It tends to affect people over the age of 65, and is more common in men than women.