There are other things that may be assigned when having to live with Congestive Heart Failure. Diet and medications are a good place to start, but there are many things that you can do to help improve the quality of life after being diagnosed with this condition. For example, limiting salt is a great way to help your condition, but limiting alcohol can help as well. Excessive use of alcohol can directly weaken your heart or predispose your heart to abnormal heart rhythms that may worsen existing heart failure. It may also negatively interact with the medications used to treat your heart condition.

Besides limiting alcohol, it’s a good idea to limit fluids in general. Your doctor will be the one to tell you how much fluid you can consume in your daily diet. This also helps prevent fluid build up and discomfort. In some cases, certain limits must be set in exchange for a longer, better quality of life. In the case of things such as smoking, of course this habit should be completely eliminated. Nicotine use robs the heart of vital oxygen. It damages the blood vessels, reducing the amount of oxygen in your blood, making the heart beat faster or irregularly. If you smoke, your doctor can recommend a program to help you quit.

Another way to help make a heart healthier is to exercise. Prolonged inactivity is usually not recommended. Most people with heart failure can still exercise, but your doctor is the person to tell you how much and what kind of exercises you can do. Many patients may find it difficult to do rigorous activity that increases the heart rate dramatically.
However, activity done in short bursts can be much more comfortable for the patient and can still be effective.

As you are exercising and trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, a good way to monitor your progress is to weigh yourself. Another reason to keep track of your weight is to notify your doctor of experiencing rapid weight gain. 2 or more pounds in a 1-2 day period may mean that you are retaining fluid and need to change your treatment plan. Maintaining a daily weight log can help you to keep track of this. Taking it to your doctor visits will also help your doctor monitor your progress and condition.

In some cases, the underlying cause of heart failure is valve disease. In these situations, surgery is sometimes used to repair or replace valves that are not working properly to improve blood flow and allow the heart to work more efficiently. Patients with advanced heart failure who do not respond to treatment may be considered for a heart transplant if the doctor feels that certain criteria are met.

One of the hardest treatments for this disease is one of the most important. Reduce your stress level. When you are anxious or upset about something, your heart beat begins to speed up and your breathing begins to come more rapidly. This can make heart failure much worse, since your heart is already having trouble meeting the body’s demands. You are encouraged to find ways to reduce stressing your life. Ask family members to help you out in this regard, making life easier for you by easing your worries. Some things like napping or simply relaxing help. Putting your feet up when possible not only helps relaxation, but helps with swollen feet as well.

Most importantly, with any of the treatment plans and parts mentioned, keep up hope. Though many cases of heart failure can not be reversed, treatments can usually markedly improve symptoms and life expectancy. Not only that, life quality can be improved as well. You and your doctor can work together to help make your life more comfortable. Pay strict attention to your body and how it feels. Many times, it will give you signs as to what is going on. Always tell your doctor when you are feeling better or worse, to let him/her know what things might be making the difference in how you are feeling.

It is important to maintain open communication and a good relationship with your physician. One thing that may make that easier is to write down your questions. This will help you prepare what you want to say. List your questions and concerns before the doctor’s appointment.

Another tool is to take notes during doctor visits. This way, you can review key information and instructions later. It is often difficult to remember every single detail when you are out of the office.

Be sure to share this information with your family because this will help them know how to support you and make you more comfortable. One more thing to help you during doctor visits is to ask for clarification. Always make sure you understand the instructions and information that your doctor is giving you. Don’t ever be ashamed to ask for simpler instructions if something seems too complicated. One last thing that will help your doctor help you is to keep track of your medications. Make a list of them and share that list with all of your doctors, so each is aware of what the other is prescribing. This will help them prescribe medicines that don’t react negatively to each other.