How does diastolic heart failure affect my body?

How does diastolic heart failure affect my body?

When the left side of your heart stiffens, your heart:

• Can’t relax properly between beats.
• Doesn’t fill up with as much blood as it should.
• Pumps out less blood to the rest of your body than a healthy heart would.

As a result, you experience symptoms of heart failure. You might feel short of breath or fatigued (tired, no matter how much you rest). Your breathing may get worse at night when you try to lay flat. You may also notice swelling in your belly or legs (edema). These symptoms might get worse over time.