Congestive Heart Failure
Heart Failure is a serious condition requiring life-changes to manage the symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, fluid overload, swelling, and weight gain.
Embracing heart healthy habits can help a person maintain the best possible quality of life. Your physician will prescribe specific heart healthy diet instructions and medications to help reduce your symptoms. Frequently the orders will include the following areas of life change:
- Weighing daily and reporting weight gain (3 lbs in 24 hrs or 5 lbs in a week).
- Reducing the sodium content in your diet to 2 Grams (2000mgs) or less per day.
- Reducing fluid intake to 2000 milliliters (mls) or less per day.
- Taking your medications as prescribed.
- Regular exercise.
- Keeping your physician appointments.
- Smoking cessation.
- Alcohol and drug cessation.
How can I successfully make all these changes?
Deaconess Health system Heart Failure Program
Through our Heart Failure Navigation Program, we can help coordinate your care and manage your heart failure. We provide extensive patient education and resources for you and your caregivers. Our excellent team of physicians, pharmacists, dieticians, dedicated Heart Failure RN Coordinators, plus many others work to ensure the best outcomes for our patients.
Deaconess has several resources to help you develop habits to help you manage heart failure.
First, check your "Heart Failure Zone" every day to make sure you are in the GREEN ZONE.
If you are not in the GREEN ZONE, call your Heart Failure Specialist
here.