If you belong to a family with a history of congestive heart failure, you must start taking preventive measures immediately. Though it doesn’t mean that you would also have the disease, but chances are relatively high as compared to people with no family history of congestive heart failure.

 

Heart failure does not necessarily mean that the heart fails to work. It rather means that the heart fails to pump adequate amount of blood to all the organs, which consequently results in lack of oxygen and blood tends to build up in the lungs and the heart.

 

Preventing heart failure involves a series of steps that can help in keeping the disease at bay. The measures entail dietary restrictions, body weight, exercise techniques, fluid intake and avoiding certain foods and other ingredients. Basically, if one can check the risk factors of congestive heart failure, the disease can be efficiently prevented.

 

Follow these steps:

 

4     Make necessary dietary changes: To prevent heart failure, you must first take care of what you eat and what you drink. The eating habits have a definite effect on the health of your heart. You must eat such foods that would help in reducing your body weight potentially. Also, you must limit your “salt” intake. Salt is otherwise sodium that can lead to water retention. However, that doesn’t mean you eat salt-less foods, but you must take very less salt in your diet. Avoid adding extra salt to your diet as well. Sodium causes fluid retention that can be harmful for the heart. Most of the sodium that we get is from the salt that we eat, however, there are other sources of sodium as well, like MSG or baking soda. Instead of eating sodium, have potassium enriched foods to replenish the loss of potassium due to diuretics. Sources of potassium include most of the fruits, green vegetables etc.

4     Monitor your body weight: Your body weight affects your heart. You must always try to control your body weight by monitoring it on a regular basis and taking all the necessary measures for the same. Eating right, exercising right and being fit can help in maintaining a balanced body weight. If you are just over 2 kgs of what your normal weight should be, you must seek help. Keep a track of your body weight every morning before breakfast and record it for reference.

4     Exercise: Very very important. Choose the safest exercise program for your health and seek help from a professional. Exercise regularly to allow the smooth functioning of your system. Swimming can be a great exercise for heart patients.

4     Check your fluid intake: Though it is advised to drink ample amount of water, but if you are on diuretics for clearing the fluid from the body, avoid taking plenty of fluids. Just stick to about 2 lts of any fluids, everyday.

4     Avoid alcohol and smoking: These are the worst enemies of your heart, so avoid them.

 

Make these steps part of your daily schedule and you’ll surely combat congestive heart failure.

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Filed under: Congestive Heart Failure Prevention

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