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.
3
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.
4
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.
5
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.ORG5