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5 FACTS YOU NEED

TO KNOW TO LIVE WELL

Eric Rome, DO

Faith Regional

CardioVascular Institute

110 N. 29th St., Suite 301

Norfolk

402-844-8284

your doctor regularly, take medicines

as directed and follow your doctor’s

advice.

Also key is watching for signs and

symptoms that may indicate your dis-

ease is getting worse—and bringing

them to your doctor’s attention right

away. They include having:

• 

Swelling in your legs, feet or

abdomen.

• 

An ongoing cough or congestion.

• 

Increased fatigue.

• 

Shortness of breath.

• 

Confusion, dizziness or

light-headedness.

• 

Loss of appetite or nausea.

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The bathroom scale

will become a valuable

health tool.

It’s important for people with heart

failure to weigh themselves daily.

Weight gain can be a sign that your

body is retaining fluid. Your doctor

will explain when weight changes

need attention and how to handle

them.

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If you have trouble

sticking with your

treatment plan, there are

solutions.

Managing heart failure can be chal-

lenging. For example, you may need

to take several medicines, which

can be expensive—and confusing to

remember.

You may discover that a lot of the

foods you normally eat are loaded

with salt, and you may not know how

to cook more healthful meals.

If you have challenges, let your

doctor know. He or she can help you

with them. There may be less ex-

pensive medicines you can take, for

instance. Or tools—such as medicine

charts or pillboxes—might make it

easier to keep track of which medi-

cines to take and when.

If cooking or eating well is a prob-

lem, your doctor can refer you to a

registered dietitian who can help you

plan tasty and healthy meals.

The important thing to know is that

you don’t have to figure things out on

your own.

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Heart failure isn’t just a

physical condition.

Fear, anxiety, depression, stress. It’s

perfectly normal to have feelings like

these when diagnosed with a serious

illness. If you have any of them, it’s

essential to tell your doctor because

they can affect the quality of your

life. And they can keep you from

taking good care of yourself.

Often, it’s helpful to talk

about these feelings—

perhaps with a counselor.

Joining a support group for

people with heart failure

may be useful as well.

You can do this!

Remember, for most people,

heart failure is highly man-

ageable. Taking charge of the

disease begins with educating

yourself and staying active in

your care.

Additional sources: American Heart Association;

Heart Failure Society of America; National

Institutes of Health

plan

FRHS.ORG

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