Management Of Congestive Heart Failure

CHF is a disease of the heart and cardiovascular system. To put it simply, it's the disease of an aging heart. Most of us see signs of our bodies aging. Our hair gets gray, our vision gets worse and our skin wrinkles. Even though we can't see the signs, our internal organs get older too.

As the heart ages, it becomes less efficient at doing its job which is to pump blood and help manage the fluid balance in the body. When the heart can't effectively handle the fluid in our body, fluids built up and are not eliminated the way they should. This fluid ends up in our feet and legs (edema and in our lungs causing shortness of breath and pneumonias. Thousands of people are hospitalized each year for complications from CHF. This can be prevented! Read on.

CHF is not curable any more then gray hair or wrinkles are curable but there are treatments. Hair dye for the hair, glasses for the eyes, a good plastic surgeon for the skin and medications and diet for the heart.

The doctor must diagnose and manage CHF. One type of medication used to manage this incurable disease is a diuretic. This medication, an example is Lasix or Furosemide is taken 1-3x daily and helps to "wring out" the excess fluid and excrete it as urine. Another way to manage this disease is with diet, specifically a low sodium (1,200-2,000mg daily) diet. Sodium attracts fluid, so it must be limited. Goodbye potato chips.

The dynamic of this problem make it one which necessitates daily observation, assessment and compliance with meds and diet. If this is done effectively, you can eliminate many unnecessary hospitalizations. Here's how:

DAILY and I mean DAILY weights. This practice has nothing to do with monitoring fat, caloric intake etc. It is to watch for water weight gain. Water weight can creep up over night after a high sodium meal or silently over several days while the patient ignores symptoms of increased weakness, shortness of breath and fatigue and typically waits until they are at "death's door" before calling for help. By that time it's too late, 911 is called and the patient spends several days in the hospital on IV diuretics. This process can be eliminated!! The patient needs to weigh daily and keep a written record. If the patient or caregiver notes a weight gain of 2 pounds in one day or 5 pounds in one week, call your cardiologist or GP. The doctor can increase the dose of the diuretic for a day or two which "wrings out" the excess water in the body before it becomes so severe, IV medications and other treatments are needed.

Now, put away the salt shaker and go buy a scale!