Caring For Your HEART. - Renown Health

Caring for YourHEART.Living Well with Heart Failure

At Renown Health, we are committedto helping you understand and manageyour diagnosis of heart failure,also knownas congestive heart failure or CHF. Heart failure is a seriouscondition that occurs when the heart muscle cannot pumpenough blood through the heart to meet the body’s needs forblood and oxygen. However, many people with heart failurelead full, enjoyable lives when the condition is managed withmedication and a healthy lifestyle.1

Anatomy of the HeartAortaPulmonaryarteryLeft onaryarteryLeft valve

What is Heart Failure?Less bloodis pumpedout of theventricles.Weakenedheartmusclecan’tsqueezeas well.Less bloodfills theventricles.Stiff heartmusclecan’t relaxnormally.Systolic Heart Failure is whenThe heart muscle becomesweak and enlarged. It can’tpump enough blood forwardwhen the ventricles contract.Ejection fraction is lowerthan normal.Diastolic Heart Failure is whenThe heart muscle becomesstiff. It doesn’t relax normallybetween contractions, whichkeeps the ventricles fromfilling with blood. Ejectionfraction is often in thenormal range.Ejection Fraction (EF) is the percentage of blood the heart pumps witheach beat. It is a measure of how well your heart is pumping. You can havea form of heart failure even if your ejection fraction is normal. Your EF valueis obtained by an echocardiogram test or heart catheterization.Normal EF: 50-70%My EF:3

What is Heart Failure? Heartfailure means the heart cannot pump blood well. Whenyour heart doesn’t pump efficiently, it can make youfeel weak, tired or dizzy. Heartfailure causes water to leak out of your blood vessels.This water can fill up in your lungs and make you short of breath.It can also cause your legs or belly to swell.WATER IN LUNGScan make youshort of breath4WATER IN LEGScauses swellingWATER IN BELLYcauses swelling

Things You Can Doto Live Well with Heart FailureTake your medicationcorrectly every dayDo your daily checkup andcheck your weight each dayEat less saltExercise regularly5

How to Take Your MedicationHeart failure can be controlled with medication.When you take your medication correctly, your heartwill pump more efficiently, you’ll feel better andultimately live longer.Take your pills Takeyour medication at the same time every day as instructedby the doctor. Donot purposely skip doses of your medications, even if youfeel good. Donot stop your medications for any reason, and call theoffice if at 775-982-7867 you are feeling unwell. Ifyou cannot afford your medications, talk to your doctor,nurse or call the Heart Failure Program at 775-982-7867.Don’t run out of pills. Makesure you do not run out of pills.Monitor how many refills you haveleft and get your pills from the samepharmacy every time to preventmedication errors.6

How to Take Your MedicationHave a system that helps you rememberhow and when to take your pills: Keepa list of your medications with instructions on how andwhen to take them. Keepyour medication bottles in a place that makes it easy toremember to take them—next to your bed, in the kitchen or inthe bathroom are good places. Usea pill box to help organize your pills for the week, or forthe month. Ifyou are leaving your home for a long time, make sure youbring enough pills with you. Ifyou forget to take your pills with you on a trip, call yourdoctor’s office. They can help you get pills from a local pharmacyfor the duration of your trip.Remember to take your pills every day as instructedat the correct times. If you forget a dose, take it assoon as you remember, unless it is almost time forthe next dose, then skip that missed dose. Do notdouble up on the dose.7

How to Take Your MedicationIt is very important to bring your medication in thepill bottles to every appointment.Show your doctor how and when you take yourmedications. This will help make sure you are takingyour medications safely and ensure you don’t runout of pills.8

Know Your Water PillYour water pill is also called a diuretic.Common diuretics are Lasix (furosemide),Demedex (torsemide) and Bumex (bumetanide).There are other types of water pills — make sureyou know which diuretics you are on.My water pill:About your water pill: Thewater pill controls how much salt and water you have in yourbody. It helps you remove fluid by urinating — sometimes youwill notice you are urinating more often. Youmay notice your doctor makes changes to your water pillsmore often than other medications. The dose is usually based onhow much extra fluid the doctor thinks you are carrying.9

Daily Check-UpBe mindful of your heart failure symptoms. If youcan catch these symptoms early, you can take actionto feel better and avoid the hospital.Each day, do a check-up by asking yourself: How Dodo I feel?I have swelling in my feet, legs or belly? What10do I weigh?

How Do I Feel Today?You can tell how well your heart is doing by howyou feel and what level of activity you can do.Ask yourself the following four questions:1. Am I short of breath walking?Heart failure can make you feel short of breathwhile walking.DOING WELL:Walk easily with noshortness of breathCALL YOUR DOCTOR:Shortness of breathafter walking a shortdistanceCALL 911:Shortness of breathat rest11

How Do I Feel Today?2. Am I short of breath sleeping?Heart failure can also make you feel short ofbreath when you are lying down. When it getsespecially hard to breathe, some people find theyneed to sleep sitting up.DOING WELL:Sleeping flat, noshortness of breath12CALL YOUR DOCTOR:Needing two pillowsor more to avoidshortness of breathCALL 911:Have to sleep uprightto avoid shortnessof breath

How Do I Feel Today?3. Am I feeling faint or dizzy?Sometimes people with heart failure feel dizzyor lightheaded.DOING WELL:Not dizzy orsometimes a littledizzy whenstanding upCALL YOUR DOCTOR:Dizzy for a long timeCALL 911:Almost passed out(fainted) or fallen13

How Do I Feel Today?4. Do I have swelling?Swelling in your legs or belly can be a sign that yourbody is holding on to too much water. This is easyto check.To check for swelling each morning: Pressfirmly into the skin on the front part of your lower leg oraround your belly. Ifyour finger makes a pit in your skin, you have swelling inthat area. Beaware of how much swelling is usual for you and lookfor changes.DOING WELL:No swelling14CALL YOUR DOCTOR:Swelling in ankle or shin. Increased swellingin your belly, feeling more bloated

Why it’s Important to Eat Less Salt Salt,also known as sodium, is found in many foods. Most Saltfoods you eat have salt even if you can’t see or taste it.causes the body to act like a sponge and hold water. Eatingtoo much salt can cause weight gain, swelling inyour legs and water in your lungs. Eatingless salt will help you feel better.You can eat less salt if you: Aimfor 2,000 milligrams (mg)of sodium per day. Choose Don’t Takefoods that are low in salt.add salt when you cook or eat.the salt shaker off the table.15

How to Eat Less SaltAvoid or limit these high-salt foods:16Fast FoodFrozen MealsHot Dogs, BaconSmoked MeatPizzaCheeseCanned Beansand VegetablesInstantHot CerealsCanned orPotted MeatSauces andSeasoningsSnack FoodsCanned andSmoked FishCanned Soup

How to Track Your Heart Health Every DayDo Your Daily Checkup and Check Your Weight DailyWeigh yourself each morning at the same time. After you urinate Before you eat breakfast Before you get dressedUse the log on the next page to track your daily weight and blood pressureCall your doctor if you gain 3 or more pounds in a day or 5 or more pounds in a weekPull this tracker out of the book by pulling it out of the staplesGo to renown.org/heartfailure to download and print more tracking sheetsWhat is your heart health level today?EVERY DAY Weigh yourself in the morning before breakfast; write it down and compare it to yesterday’s weight Take your medicine as prescribed Check for swelling in your feet, legs and belly Eat heart-healthy, low-salt foods Balance activity with rest periodsRED LIGHT – STOP/EMERGENCYGo to the ER or call 911 if you have any of the following: Difficulty breathing, even while sitting still Chest pain Confusion or inability to think clearlyYELLOW LIGHT – CAUTIONCall your doctor if you have any of the following: Weight gain of 3 pounds or more in one day or a weight gain of 5 poundsor more in one week Shortness of breath Swelling of your feet, legs or belly No energy, fatigue Dry, hacking cough Dizziness An uneasy feeling that something is not right Difficulty breathing when lying down — you need to sit in a chair in order to sleepGREEN LIGHT – ALL IS GOODWhen your symptoms are under control you experience: No shortness of breath No weight gain of more than two pounds (it may change one to two poundssome days) No swelling of your feet, legs or belly No chest pain

FEELING INDICATORMONTH YEARMark the color that indicates how you are feeling each day.Good DayMY TARGET WEIGHT: VISIT DATE:Worse DayBad DayKnow your target weight by asking your doctor what your target weight is each time you visit. The target weightis where your heart is working best. You and your doctor need a plan for when your weight goes up too much.Download more tracking sheets at renown.org/heartfailure.DateWeight(lbs)Blood Type of physical activityand time

FEELING INDICATORMONTH YEARMark the color that indicates how you are feeling each day.Good DayMY TARGET WEIGHT: VISIT DATE:Worse DayBad DayKnow your target weight by asking your doctor what your target weight is each time you visit. The target weightis where your heart is working best. You and your doctor need a plan for when your weight goes up too much.Download more tracking sheets at renown.org/heartfailure.DateWeight(lbs)Blood Type of physical activityand time

FEELING INDICATORMONTH YEARMark the color that indicates how you are feeling each day.Good DayMY TARGET WEIGHT: VISIT DATE:Worse DayBad DayKnow your target weight by asking your doctor what your target weight is each time you visit. The target weightis where your heart is working best. You and your doctor need a plan for when your weight goes up too much.Download more tracking sheets at renown.org/heartfailure.DateWeight(lbs)Blood Type of physical activityand time

How to Eat Less SaltChoose these low-salt foods:FruitFresh FishFrozen Vegetables Lemon Slice, OliveOil and VinegarUnsaltedMargarineWhole OatsFresh MeatsYogurtDried BeansFresh VegetablesGraham CrackersEggs21

How to Eat Less Salt when Eating OutWhen you eat out: Askfor food cooked with no salt. Avoidbutter, cheese and sauces. Avoidfried foods — choose grilled, baked or steamed foods. Choose Limitoil and vinegar for your salad instead of pre-made dressings.fast foods or choose menu items with less sodium. Avoidbacon, sausage and ham.Remember, small changes in your eating can makea big difference in salt intake. Your taste adjusts overtime and you will get used to eating less salt.22

How to Eat Less Salt at HomeWhen you eat at home: Don’tadd salt to food when you cook or eat. Seasonfoods with herbs and seasonings that do not contain salt. Makeor choose low-sodium sauces, salad dressings, breadsand desserts. Avoidinstant foods that come in a bag or box. Rinsecanned foods (even canned fish) before cooking andeating them.Read food labels and choose foods that contain lessthan 140 mg of sodium per serving.23

How to Eat Less SaltReading a Food LabelStep 1:Look at theserving size.Step 2:Look at thesodium per serving.Step 3:Choose foods withless than 140 mg ofsodium per serving. Thisfood has 83 mg ofsodium in one bar (one serving). Thisfood is a good choice! Watch24how much you eat.

How to Eat Less SaltReading a food labelChoose items labeled:LOWSODIUMNoN Salt AddedWatch out for items labeled:sodiumLower This food contains morethan 560 mg of sodium inone serving (5 ounces). This food is not a goodchoice! Pay attention to how manyservings you are eating. Aim for 2,000 milligrams(mg) of sodium per day.25