Treatment Options

Helping Yourself

Although many effective treatments exist for HF, prevention remains the best therapy. Aggressive treatment of coronary heart disease, high cholesterol, valvular heart disease, and high blood pressure can help prevent the development of HF. You can also help prevent HF by making lifestyle changes in the following areas:

• Smoking cessation
• A healthy diet including moderate sodium restriction
• Regular exercise
• Weight loss
• Avoiding excessive alcohol intake

If you have HF, you can do a lot to reduce your symptoms and minimize the need for medications:

• Eat a healthy, low-sodium diet. In addition to eating a diet filled with fresh fruits and vegetables and low in fat and cholesterol, you should also minimize your salt intake (typically less than 3 grams of sodium/day) . Don't put extra salt on your food, and watch out for prepared foods--canned, packaged, or restaurant items--that have a lot of sodium. Sodium in your diet will cause your body to retain fluid and can worsen your heart failure.

• Weigh yourself on a daily basis to help detect an early occurrence of fluid retention.  If you notice a weight gain of greater than 3-5 pounds, contact your doctor.
• Take your medications correctly and diligently. Straying from your regular regimen of medications can trigger a serious worsening of your symptoms.
• Avoid the use of prescription and over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) drugs like naproxen (Naprosyn), ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), and ketoprofen (Orudis) unless directed by your doctor.
• Avoid the following if possible: nutritional or natural products. These agents have not been shown to help heart failure patients. Until further information can be found they should be avoided. Always tell your doctor about supplements that you may be taking
• Restrict or limit physical activity only during periods of acute congestive heart failure symptoms.  However, once symptoms are stabilized, moderate aerobic exercise is encouraged to prevent or reverse physical deconditioning.  Exercise can improve symptoms and exercise capacity.  Talk to your doctor about an appropriate exercise regimen for you.
• Talk to your doctor about receiving influenza ("flu") and pneumococcal ("pneumonia") vaccinations to decrease your risk for serious respiratory infection.

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Note: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not intended to diagnose a health condition, but it can be used as a guide to help you decide if you should seek professional treatment or to help you learn more about your condition once it has been diagnosed.