Self-care for patients with heart failure
Learn about the symptoms of edema, which are weight gain, swelling, fatigue, unable to lie down, or gasping for breath at night. If the symptoms occur, inform the doctor or nurse who provides the treatment. Weigh your own weight and make a record every day or at least 2 times a week in the morning. After having a bowel movement, weigh yourself before having breakfast because an increase of body weight of more than 1 kilogram from previously within 1-2 days (or 2 kilograms within 3 days) shows a condition of edema. Limit the consumption of sodium (2-3 grams per day). Avoid having salty food, canned food, and preserved food. Do not add salt, fish sauce, or soy sauce. Limit the quantity of drinking water according to the treatment plan. In case of overweight, lose weight because an increase of body weight will cause the heart to work harder. In case of losing appetite, nausea, vomit, uncomfortable, fullness, or weight loss of more than 5 kilograms within 6 months or BMI is less than 22 kilograms/square meter, frequently eat light diet little by little to prevent malnutrition. Abstain from smoking and limit the drinking of alcoholic drinks to not exceeding 1-2 glasses per day or completely because alcohol can reduce the heart function and cause degeneration of heart muscles. Get proper exercise regularly, which is walking on flat ground from 2-5 minutes per day for 1 week. Then, increase to
