Heart failure is far more common than most people realise – yet many don’t know how to recognise it. Popular culture has shaped our understanding of it as a dramatic medical emergency – someone clutching their chest and collapsing from sudden pain.
But in reality, it rarely begins that way. The early stages of heart failure often creep in quietly, with symptoms so subtle that most people dismiss them as fatigue, poor sleep, or indigestion.
Dr Dmitry Yaranov, a cardiologist and heart transplant surgeon, specialising in advanced heart failure, heart transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support, is drawing attention to how heart failure often begins silently – with subtle symptoms that many overlook until it’s too late.
In an Instagram video posted on November 9, the cardiac surgeon explains how heart failure first manifests in the body and shares seven subtle signs that your heart may be struggling – warning against ignoring them. He emphasises, “Heart failure can start quietly – especially in younger or active people. Don’t write it off. Don’t wait until it’s obvious.”
Heart failure often starts quietly
According to Dr Yaranov, heart failure can manifest initially as symptoms that people often ignore – feeling tired all the time, blaming it on something you ate, or simply not realising that heart failure could feel like this.
However, he stresses that it can – and it often does. Early heart failure can creep in silently, disguising itself as everyday fatigue, mild breathlessness, or simple indigestion. Recognising these subtle signs early can make all the difference.
The cardiac surgeon explains that most heart failure cases start without any typical symptoms – “No chest pain. No dramatic collapse. Just a body quietly struggling – until it can’t anymore.”
Heart failure subtle signs
Dr Yaranov lists seven subtle signs of heart failure that he has frequently observed in his patients.
- Fatigue so deep, caffeine doesn’t touch it.
- Bloating that doesn’t go away – even without big meals.
- Clothes fitting tighter around the stomach.
- Feeling full quickly or skipping meals – but still gaining weight.
- Needing naps just to get through the day.
- A subtle, constant shortness of breath.
- Unexplained weight gain.
The cardiologist urges people to trust their symptoms and seek medical evaluation early, warning against dismissing subtle signs until it’s too late.