<s>[INST] How is Heart Failure Diagnosed? [/INST] Because the onset of heart failure may not produce noticeable symptoms, regular checkups with your doctor are important to catching the condition early.

If you make an appointment for suspected heart failure, your doctor likely will take a complete medical history, check for risk factors, review your symptoms and perform a physical examination. Your doctor can typically make a tentative diagnosis by using a stethoscope to listen for the presence of fluid in your chest and abnormal heart sounds, notes the Cleveland Clinic.

Based on a physical exam, your doctor may order additional diagnostic tests and procedures to confirm their diagnosis and determine the best treatment options. The AHA describes the most common tests for heart failure as:

Blood tests.
Chest X-ray.
Exercise stress test.
Electrocardiogram (ECG).
Echocardiogram.
MRI.
Cardiac catheterization.
Radionuclide ventriculography.
Early diagnosis and treatment may help your symptoms and prevent further damage to your heart, so see your doctor regularly. Source: ABBOTT. Link: https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/healthy-heart/6-heart-failure-questions-answered.html. Field: Cardiovascular. Disease: Heart Failure </s>