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Clinical Guidelines: Heart Failure - Patient/Family
Information
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
Patient and Family focus
1. Diagnosis: What is making you feel
poorly?
Your doctor has told you that you have
(or may have) heart failure. You may find you get short of breath and
get tired, and that your ankles often swell. You should have had an
echocardiogram test, which helps your doctor understand how sick your
heart is, and how to help you feel better.
2. Education: What is Heart Failure?
Heart failure is a very serious condition
and may be caused by an injury to the heart (like a heart attack), high
blood pressure that lasts a long time, or a problem with a heart valve.
It cannot be cured, but there are things you can do to help you live
longer and feel better.
3. Self-Management: What you need to
do to feel better.
You and your family need to learn about
heart failure, what makes your symptoms worse, and what will help you
feel better. Doctors and nurse-case managers will teach you what you
need to do, but it is up to you and your family to take charge at home.
You may have to change some of the kinds of food you eat. You should
avoid salt. And you will be taking medicine, usually several different
kinds.
4. Medications: Why you are taking new
medicines.
You may find your doctor prescribing
several new medicines to take. They may make you feel worse at first.
You and your family will be taught how each medicine is expected to help
your heart, and to help you feel better. Part of learning about these
medicines is knowing when to call your doctor. Keep a written list with
you of all the medicines you are taking.
5. Monitoring: Keeping a close eye on
your heart failure.
Every day, you will need to check and
write down whether your symptoms are better, worse, or the same as the
day before. A nurse-case manager or your doctor may call you to talk
about how you are feeling and any changes you have noticed. This will
happen frequently at first until you learn more about your heart
failure.
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