Mesa Senior Care Managing Heart Health
Managing heart health as a senior is your top priority. There are many signs as a senior in Mesa you need to be on the lookout for. Years ago, doctors told seniors to move to Arizona because of how amazing the air quality was. That was then, this is now. Senior care starts with heart care. Heart care is focused on dealing with shortness of breath. How to prevent heart failure and sign to look out for with seniors in Mesa. Are you at risk for heart disease? Not sure if you have the signs or symptoms? Start here and read our article on seniors and heart disease first.
Heart Failure: Managing shortness of breath caused by extra fluid
When you have extra fluid in your body, it makes it more difficult for your heart to function when you have heart failure. In addition, you may feel that you cannot catch your breath. You may get shortness of breath just from walking a few steps. If your shortness of breath is getting worse or it is a new symptom, contact your doctor. Here is a link for Mesa Physicians
How to Get Rid of Extra Fluid to Breathe Easier with Heart Failure
There are things that you can do to help get rid of extra fluid. Keep track of your weight and fluid intake every day. Here is an article that will help with this Why You Need to Monitor Your Weight & Fluid Intake with Heart Failure
In addition, follow the tips below to get rid of extra fluid
- Lower the amount of sodium in your diet for a couple of days. For example, if you usually have about 2,400 mg of sodium each day, decrease your sodium to about 2,000 mg per day. If you are not sure how much sodium that you have each day, assume the 2400 mg and decrease to 2000mg. Here is a guide from the American Heart Association
- Keep a daily log of the foods that you eat for each meal and calculate the sodium for each meal then add it up for the day. Everything has sodium in it, you may be shocked. This may seem like a tedious task, but this will be worth the extra time in the long run. Take this information to the doctor so he can get a better understanding of what is going on and how to get rid of the extra fluid. Click Here to download a daily food log or use an app.
- Decrease the amount of fluids you have for 2 days. For example, if you normally have 8 cups of fluids each day, reduce your fluid intake to 6 cups per day.
- If you reduce your sodium and fluids for 2 days and are still short of breath, call your doctor. Take all of your daily logs to help your doctor treat you.
Try Changing Positions
If you are struggling at night with shortness of breath, use extra pillows to elevate yourself so you are upright. If that doesn’t work for you, try sleeping in a chair with an ottoman or a recliner.
Mesa Senior Care Managing Heart Health Managing heart health as a senior is your top priority.