Are Swollen Feet a Sign of Heart Failure? - Verywell Health
Your heart is the hardest-working muscle, pumping an average of 2,000 gallons of blood a day. So when something goes wrong with it, your body will quickly let you know. Heart failure happens when it can't pump enough blood to keep your organs working normally. One major sign of heart failure is swollen feet, or edema. The swelling comes from fluid trapped inside the tissues of your body. Heart failure causes swelling in your feet because the kidneys aren't getting enough oxygen to properly filter your blood. When that happens, your body keeps the extra fluid and waste products inside your body. Heart failure also causes a backup of blood, which causes the body to hold on to extra fluid outside of the arteries or veins. This results in swelling in the feet. Richard Jacyno / Getty Images Warning Signs of Heart Failure In addition to edema, there are a few other signs of heart failure, including: Shortness of breath or ...