Living with heart failure may not be easy. But there are things you can do to feel better, stay healthy longer, and avoid the hospital.
Good self-care means doing certain things every day, like taking your medicine. It's also about checking for symptoms such as weight gain and swelling. Tracking your symptoms every day will help you know which heart failure zone you're in. That can tell you when you need to get help.
Here are some important things to do every day.
Check each day to see which heart failure zone you're in.
Green zone. You are doing well. This is where you want to be. |
|
Yellow zone. Call your doctor. Your symptoms are changing. |
Your doctor's name: ____________________________________________________________ Your doctor's contact information: __________________________________________________ |
Red zone. Call 911. This is an emergency. |
|
If you have symptoms of a heart attack: After you call 911, the operator may tell you to chew 1 adult-strength or 2 to 4 low-dose aspirin. Wait for an ambulance. Do not try to drive yourself. |
There are other things you can do to take care of your body and your heart.
When you take charge of your health, you're more likely to feel better and keep your heart failure from getting worse.
Current as of: January 10, 2022
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine & E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine & Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
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