Health Tip: Monitoring What You Drink
People with heart failure tend to retain fluid, making it important to monitor what they drink.
The doctor may prescribe medication to help rid the body of excess fluid, which puts less stress on the heart. While this type of drug, called a diuretic, may make you feel thirsty, it's important not to drink too much and negate the effects of the medication.
The American Heart Association offers these guidelines for what people with heart failure should drink:
* Talk to your doctor about how much fluid you should have every day.
* Carefully track how much you are drinking. Measure how many ounces each container that you drink from holds.
* Monitor all fluids, including water you use to wash down medicines, as well as fluid sources such as ice cubes, fruits, ice cream and yogurt.
* Do not drink alcohol, which affects the heart's ability to contract.
* Limit your intake of caffeine and salty fluids, such as tomato juice and other vegetable juices.
Health Tip: Living With a Pacemaker
A pacemaker is a device that's implanted in a person's chest to help maintain a regular heartbeat.
The American Heart Association offers these suggestions for managing with a pacemaker:
* Avoid applying pressure on the area where the pacemaker was implanted. You may want to wear a small pad over the area for comfort and protection.
* Your pacemaker cannot be damaged by bathing or swimming.
* Make sure to get some physical activity every day to improve your health and circulation. Feel free to resume the level of sexual activity that you had before the pacemaker was implanted.
* Don't push yourself too hard. Exercise so that you feel good, but stop if you start to feel too tired or sick.
* Always tell your doctor, a nurse, dentist or other health professional that you have a pacemaker. Carry an identification card that shows you have the device.
* Tell your doctor if you have trouble breathing, if you have swelling of the legs or ankles, if you have unexplained weight gain, or if you feel faint or dizzy.
* You shouldn't experience interference from most household electrical appliances.
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