Self Care/Dealing with CHF

You and Your Self Care Needs

How you take care of yourself at home can affect whether or not you are put back into the hospital, not to mention your overall quality of life.

Most patients when asked about the most important thing they learned about heart failure reported the following items from highest to lowest ranking:

Signs and Symptoms
Medicines
Outcomes with CHF
Risk Factors
General Information
Diet and Activity
Psychological Factors

Studies have shown that the more you know about CHF, the more you can adapt to living with it.

The following are actions that you can take to make sure that you are in control of your self-care. These topics are from a study by Artinian, Magnan, Sloan, and Lange. Click here to view.

Traveling Tips

		Always talk to your doctor before you travel. Keep his/her telephone number with you.
		Remember your medicines. Make sure you have enough to last.
		Wear your Emergency Medical ID.
		Avoid illness.
		Eat with care to avoid illness.

For more information on coping with CHF go to:

http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/1800/1829.asp?index=8132

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Last modified: 11/16/05

Dealing with CHF

By making needed changes in your life, you can actively treat your CHF and improve your quality of life.

Studies have shown that poor compliance with treatment plans, like diet and exercise, result in symptoms getting worse. One study found that men that live alone were less likely to comply with the diet. Another study showed that people fill better after being discharged from the hospital and do not take prescribed medicines at home.

When can I go back to doing what I was doing before CHF? Based on your doctor's guidelines, resume activities when you feel better.

		Get plenty of rest. Avoid being active for long periods and rest between activities.
		Use your energy wisely and don't over do it. If you feel too tired to do daily activities, talk to your doctor.
		Rest after meals. Get a good nights rest.
		Groom while sitting down (conserves energy that you can put towards something else.)

Having chronic condition can make you feel sad or worried. This is normal. By taking control of your health, these feelings can go away. If they do not , talk to your doctor. To help you deal with this:

		Get up, get dressed, and get out every day.
		Do the things that you enjoy, but set a realistic schedule.
		Talk about your feelings.
		Follow your treatment plan.

Is Sex a Concern to You?

		Talk to your doctor.
		Talk to your partner, learn different ways to show affection
		Have sex when you're rested

Did you know? Energy needed to have sex with your partner is the same as climbing 1 to 2 flights of stairs or walking 2 laps around a track.