How Can I Prevent Heart Failure From Worsening?
Keep your blood pressure low
In heart failure, the release of hormones causes the blood vessels to constrict or tighten. The heart must work hard to pump blood through the constricted vessels. It is important to keep your blood pressure controlled so that your heart can pump more effectively without extra stress.
Monitor your own symptoms
Check for changes in your fluid status by weighing yourself daily and checking for swelling. Call your doctor if you have unexplained weight gain (3 pounds in one day or 5 pounds in one week) or if you have increased swelling.
Maintain fluid balance
Your doctor may ask you to keep a record of the amount of fluids you drink or eat and how often you go to the bathroom. Remember, the more fluid you carry in your blood vessels, the harder your heart must work to pump excess fluid through your body. Limiting your fluid intake to less than 2 liters per day will help decrease the workload of your heart and prevent symptoms from recurring.
Limit how much salt (sodium) you eat
If you follow a low-sodium diet, you should have less fluid retention, less swelling, and breathe easier.
Monitor your weight and lose weight if needed
Learn what your “dry” or “ideal” weight is. Dry weight is your weight without extra water (fluid). Your goal is to keep your weight within 4 pounds of your dry weight. Weigh yourself at the same time each day, preferably in the morning, in similar clothing, after urinating but before eating, and on the same scale.
Monitor your symptoms
Call your doctor if new symptoms occur or if your symptoms worsen. Do not wait for your symptoms to become so severe that you need to seek emergency treatment.
Take your medications as prescribed
Schedule regular doctor appointments
- blood
- breathe
- checking for swelling
- constrict
- diet
- Dry weight
- emergency
- fluid retention
- Heart Failure
- How Can I Prevent Heart Failure From Worsening?
- Ideal weight
- Keep your blood pressure low
- Limit how much salt you eat
- Maintain fluid balance
- Monitor your own symptoms
- Monitor your symptoms
- Monitor your weight and lose weight if needed
- Schedule regular doctor appointments.
- sodium
- Take your medications as prescribed
- tighten
- treatment
- vessels
- weighing yourself daily