So the common question of the day while working was, “How do I prevent CHF from happening?” Sadly, patients diagnosed with CHF lack the simple tips to prevent getting into trouble. I am amazed that even patients that have been diagnosed with CHF in the past and have lived with this for years are not even educated by their cardiologist or primary care doctors. Below I have outlined simple rules to follow;

1. Always weigh yourself every day usually in the morning when you have not eaten anything. Any change in weight by 5 pounds or more despite eating the same routine diet is concerning for retaining fluid in your body.
2. If your legs are becoming more swollen, your abdomen more firm, or if your having trouble laying flat there is a high likely hood that you’re retaining fluid.
3. Remember, sodium is not your friend. Patients should read nutrition labels. A max of 2 grams of sodium should be consumed in a day. Any higher than this the salt will cause you to retain fluid. Think of salt like a magnet for fluid.
4. Always be complaint with your cardiac medications. Even missing a few days if you have a weak heart can put you into congestive heart failure.
5. Remember fluid restriction, fluid restriction, fluid restriction. I like to imagine a 2 liter pepsi soda bottle. You should only be consuming about 75% of the bottle in fluid on a daily basis. This includes, coffee, milk used for cereal, soups, water, juices, gravy. Essentially anything in your diet that has a liquid form. One should always document how much they have consumed so you don’t go over the limit

Hope this helps, to clarify a simple way to understand and live with Congestive Heart Failure. – DR SARELA.