Symptoms:

• Abdominal swelling
• Chest pain, or "angina" - sharp, continuous pressure in the middle of the chest; more common in ischemic cardiomyopathy
• Cough - may be caused by extra liquid building up in the lungs, secondary to heart failure
• Decreased alertness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Dizziness
• Fainting - especially after activity; temporary and brief loss of consciousness
• Fatigue -- decreasing ability to tolerate physical activity
• High blood pressure
• Light-headedness - especially after activity
• Loss of appetite
• Low amount of urine during daytime
• Need to urinate at night
• Palpitations - the sensation of feeling the heart beat
• Shortness of breath
  • Need for extra pillows to sleep - lying flat causes shortness of breath
  • Waking up at night with sudden shortness of breath
• Swelling of legs or ankles

Signs and tests:

The doctor may hear an irregular heartbeat or abnormal heart sounds and breath sounds when listening to the chest and lungs with a stethoscope.

A heart murmur may be detected if heart valve disease is also present.

There may also be other signs of heart failure.

The following tests may show decreased heart function and heart swelling:

• Coronary angiography
• Echocardiogram and ultrasound examination of the heart.
• Chest x-ray
• Chest CT scan
• MRI of chest
• ECG

Rarely, a heart biopsy performed during a heart catheterization may be needed to rule out other disorders.

The following lab tests may be ordered:

• Blood chemistries
• Cardiac enzymes, includingCPK isoenzymes and LDH isoenzymes
• Complete blood count
• Coronary risk profile
• Toxicology screen for cocaine