Self-Care at Home

Congestive heart failure is a serious medical condition that requires professional medical help.

• Once diagnosed and under the care of a qualified medical professional, you can and should do several things at home to increase your comfort and reduce the chance of your condition getting worse.
  
  
• In fact, the more active role you take in managing your heart failure, the more likely you are to do well.
  
  
• Making the lifestyle changes described here will make a real difference. Not only will you feel better, but you will be increasing your chances of a longer, healthier life.

• Elevate the feet and legs if they are swollen.  
  
  
• Eat a reduced-salt diet.
  
  
• Weigh in every morning before breakfast and record it in a diary that can be shown to a health care provider.

• Not taking prescribed medications
  
  
• Smoking (in all forms)
  
  
• Alcohol (up to 1 drink per day is usually fine, unless prone to excessive intake/alcoholism)
  
  
• Keep walking or join a cardiac rehabilitation program (this program can monitor increasing or decreasing exercise capacity)
  
  
• Excessive emotional stress and/or depression (Moderate-to-severe mental depression has been shown to double mortality risk.)
  
  
• High altitude (Breathing is more difficult because of the lower level of oxygen in the atmosphere; pressurized cabin air travel is usually fine.)
  
  
• Herbal or other complementary medicine without first consulting a doctor to see if they are safe  

• People with diabetes must control their blood sugar level every day. Know the HbA1C level. It should be less than 7.0, preferably less than 6.5.
  
  
• People with high blood pressure should measure it regularly, and make sure they know the value, (systolic pressure should be below 140 mm Hg in everyone and even below 130 if the person has diabetes).
  
  
• People with elevated lipid levels (cholesterol and triglycerides) can take medications to get the bad cholesterol, or LDL, below 100, and the triglycerides below 150.

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