This is called heart failure. In addition to medications, you will also have to monitor your weight, swelling, salt and water.
Libra
You need to weigh yourself daily. The balance must have clearly distinguishable numbers. In this case, it would be dangerous to be wrong.
The balance must be wide and stable enough. If you get worse, then you shouldn't fall off the scale.
It is better to choose a digital scale on which it is easy to zero weight. With your heart failure, it is not the weight itself that matters, but its gain or loss. There is no point in counting and subtracting. If it can be zeroed, then it is convenient.
Weigh yourself every morning at the same time. It is better to do this without clothes or in the same clothes. Weigh in before breakfast, but after using the toilet.
Be sure to write down the weight on paper. If you ever get sick, your head will work worse, and you will not remember your weight.
Compare your results with yesterday's and last week's.
Know your target weight to aim for, but expelling too much fluid would also be harmful.
If with heart failure you have gained 1 - 2 kilograms per week, it is more likely water that the heart cannot pump. It will be necessary to change the dose of medication, as the cardiologist taught.
If you gained more than 2 kilograms in a week, then this is already a lot of water. Go to the cardiologist and sort it out. This is bad.
Edema
If water is retained, it may be visible. Examine and feel your feet every day for swelling. Mark their height: on the foot, to the lower leg, to the knee.
Symptoms
Watch for shortness of breath. Does it appear during physical exertion (and at what), is it at rest.
Is it possible to sleep on a low pillow. How much and what you need to put under your head or back to make it easier to breathe.
Write down if your head is spinning, and if your eyes darken if you stand up, if you have fainting.
Salt
There are different recommendations on the topic of salt. Americans believe that sodium in the diet should be limited to 3 grams per day or less. European cardiologists believe that the main thing is not to exceed 6 grams per day.
This is not entirely clear, because people on a diet with a very low sodium content (2 grams per day) for some reason are more likely to end up in the hospital.
Sodium restriction needs to be learned. Sodium and salt are one and the same. Sodium must be multiplied by 2.5 to get the weight of the salt. It turns out that 2 grams of sodium is 5 grams of salt.
Many are too lazy to count. Then at least follow the rules:
Limit specific pickles and smoked products.
Use less salt in your food while cooking.
Rinse canned vegetables in jars (there is usually a lot of salt).
Remove the salt shaker from the table.
Water
With heart failure, it may be necessary to limit not only salt, but also water. This is how heart failure differs from hypertension.
Usually, water is limited to 1.5 - 2 liters per day and only for those people who have serious heart failure. There are no rigid standards and guidelines in this topic. It is more beneficial for those who have driven out too much sodium from their blood with diuretics and diet. Remember sodium? If there is too little of it in the blood, then this is also bad.
Personally, I have seen people who are overwhelmed by diuretics, and they can not cope with thirst. These are exactly the ones you need to watch out for so that you don't drink a bucket of water.
There is much more to tell. Exercise is a gigantic topic in its own right. If interested, then write in the comments and we will discuss further.
Like and subscribe to my channel. Check out my articles on related topics:
How to keep track of your medications for heart failure
Signs of heart failure
Ways to relieve shortness of breath
Dyspnea. How to eat if breathing is difficult.
