Heart Failure

Cardiovascular Care

Sometimes, the heart—the tireless engine powering your every step—starts to struggle. You might feel winded climbing stairs, unusually tired, or find that simple tasks suddenly take more effort. It’s easy to chalk it up to stress or aging, but these could be signs your heart needs help. 

At WMCHealth, we understand that heart failure doesn’t just affect your body—it touches every part of your life. That’s why our compassionate team combines advanced diagnostics, tailored treatments, and ongoing support. We bring expert heart care closer to home, so you can get back to doing what you love. 

What Is Heart Failure?

Heart failure doesn’t mean your heart has stopped—it means it’s working harder than it should to keep up. When the heart loses some of its strength, it can’t pump blood as efficiently. This makes it tougher for your body to get the oxygen and nutrients it needs. 

You might notice swelling in your legs, feel unusually breathless, or experience a deep, lingering fatigue. These are signs your heart is asking for help. 

With the right care, heart failure is a manageable condition. With the right treatment and support, you can live well with heart failure. 

Types of Heart Failure 

There are several different types of heart failure, depending on how your heart is affected: 

  • Left-sided heart failure: The left side of your heart can’t pump blood to the body as it should. 
  • Right-sided heart failure: The right side can’t pump blood to your lungs to pick up oxygen. 
  • Diastolic heart failure: Your heart is stiff and doesn’t fill with blood properly. 
  • Systolic heart failure: Your heart muscle is weak and doesn’t squeeze well enough. 

Understanding the type you have helps your care team build the best treatment plan for you. 

Symptoms of Heart Failure
At first, symptoms might be subtle or even come and go. However, over time, they can become more frequent and harder to ignore. If you notice any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor. Common symptoms include:
  • Feeling tired or weak
  • Fast or irregular heartbeat
  • Weight gain from fluid buildup
  • Trouble breathing when lying down
  • Swelling in your legs, ankles, feet, or belly
  • Coughing or wheezing, especially at night
  • Shortness of breath, especially during activity or at night
Diagnosing Heart Failure
Finding out what’s going on early can help you avoid bigger problems later. Most of these tests are simple and noninvasive. If you’re having symptoms, your doctor may order one or some of the following tests to check how your heart is working:
  • A physical exam and discussion of your symptoms
  • Blood tests to check for heart stress or kidney function
  • Imaging, such as an echocardiogram, chest X-ray, or MRI
  • An EKG to check your heart’s rhythm
  • A stress test or cardiac catheterization, if needed

WMCHealth

Meet our doctors

Show All Cardiovascular Care Doctors

Andrew Najovits

Cardiovascular Disease, Echocardiography, Nuclear Cardiology

Locations:
  • 257 Lafayette Avenue Suite 300
    Suffern, NY 10901

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Hratch Kazanjian

Cardiovascular Disease

Locations:
  • 30 Hatfield Lane
    Goshen, NY 10924

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Seth Hurwitz

Cardiovascular Disease, Echocardiography, Nuclear Cardiology

Locations:
  • 30 Hatfield Lane
    Goshen, NY 10924

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Chhaya Gupta

Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology

Locations:
  • 257 Lafayette Avenue Suite 330
    Suffern, NY 10901

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

John Zimmerman

Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, Cardiovascular Disease

Locations:
  • 30 Hatfield Lane
    Goshen, NY 10924

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Walter E. Kaufmann

Cardiovascular Disease

Locations:
  • 5 Skinner St
    Port Jervis, NY 12771

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Andrew C. Shih

Interventional Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease, Internal Medicine

Locations:
  • 257 Lafayette Avenue Suite 285
    Suffern, NY 10901

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Richard Cantor

Cardiovascular Disease, Nuclear Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Echocardiography

Locations:
  • 2 Executive Boulevard
    Suffern, NY 10901

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Ahmed Alabbady

Interventional Cardiology

Locations:
  • 1 Crosfield Avenue Suite 101
    West Nyack, NY 10994

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Amala Chirumamilla

Cardiovascular Disease, Echocardiography, Nuclear Cardiology

Locations:
  • 257 Lafayette Avenue Suite 300
    Suffern, NY 10901

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Gunjan J. Shukla

Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, Cardiovascular Disease

Locations:
  • 257 Lafayette Avenue Suite 330
    Suffern, NY 10901

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Cary L. Hirsch

Interventional Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease

Locations:
  • 257 Lafayette Avenue Suite 300
    Suffern, NY 10901

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Savalan Babapoor

Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology

Locations:
  • 257 Lafayette Avenue Suite 330
    Suffern, NY 10901

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Joseph Harburger

Cardiovascular Disease, Diagnostic Ultrasound, Internal Medicine

Locations:
  • 100 Woods Road ACP 1st Floor
    Valhalla, NY 10595

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Arvind Agarwal

Cardiovascular Disease, Internal Medicine

Locations:
  • 12 Liberty Square Mall
    Stony Point, NY 10980

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Lee P. Root

Cardiovascular Disease, Internal Medicine, Echocardiography, Nuclear Cardiology

Locations:
  • 972 Route 45 Suite 103
    Pomona, NY 10970

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Divya Malhotra

Cardiovascular Disease

Locations:
  • 100 Woods Road ACP 1st Floor
    Valhalla, NY 10595

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Gregg M. Lanier

Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology

Locations:
  • 257 Lafayette Avenue Suite 330
    Suffern, NY 10901

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Stephen Pan

Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease

Locations:
  • 257 Lafayette Avenue Suite 330
    Suffern, NY 10901

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Alan Gass

Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology

Locations:
  • 257 Lafayette Avenue Suite 330
    Suffern, NY 10901

Westchester logoWMCHealth Provider

Heart Failure Treatment 

Heart failure treatment is shaped by two things: how your heart is affected and how serious the condition has become. 

Your treatment plan may include: 

  • Changes to your diet, fluid intake, and daily habits 
  • Regular checkups and blood pressure monitoring 
  • Cardiac rehabilitation to improve strength and stamina 
  • Devices like an implantable defibrillator (ICD) or pacemaker 
  • Medications to help your heart pump better or remove extra fluid 
  • In advanced cases, procedures like LVAD placement or heart transplant 

Your WMCHealth care team will support you during treatment and follow-up care. 

What to Do Next

If you’re having symptoms like shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, or coughing or wheezing, don’t wait. Talk with a WMCHealth heart specialist to find out what’s going on. 

We’re here to help you find answers and to create a plan that works for your life. 

Find a Doctor Make an Appointment Find a Location Patient Portal