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Heart Failure

Living With Heart Failure

You can feel better when you have heart failure by taking your medicines as directed, having a healthy lifestyle, and avoiding things that make heart failure worse.

Taking medicines

Take your medicines as directed. If you don't, your heart failure may get worse, or you may get sudden heart failure. For more information, see:

Heart failure: Taking medicines properly.
Try to avoid medicines that can make your heart failure worse. For more information, see:

Heart failure: Avoiding medicines that make symptoms worse.
Take a low-dose aspirin every day if your doctor advises it to prevent a stroke or heart attack. But higher doses of aspirin may make your heart failure worse. So talk to your doctor first about how much to take.

Having a healthy lifestyle

Limit sodium.

Heart failure: Eating less salt

Low-salt diets: Eating out
Exercise regularly. If you aren't already active, your doctor may want you to start exercising. You could do it in a program or on your own. Try to do activities that raise your heart rate. Aim for at least 2½ hours of moderate exercise a week.³ One way to do this is to be active at least 10 minutes 3 times a day, 5 days a week. You can start slowly if you haven't exercised much before. For more information, see the topic Cardiac Rehabilitation. For information on starting and staying with an exercise program, see:

Heart failure: Activity and exercise.
Check your weight at the same time every day. For information, see:

Heart failure: Checking your weight.
Try to lose weight if you are overweight. Eating a heart-healthy diet and exercising regularly will help you lose weight. Even a few pounds can make a difference.
Stop smoking. Smoking increases your risk for heart disease and makes it harder to exercise. Avoid secondhand smoke too. For more information, see Quitting Smoking.
Avoid too much alcohol. This means drinking no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women.
Limit your fluids if needed. For information, see:

Heart failure: Watching your fluids.
Oxygen treatment. Your doctor may recommend oxygen therapy to reduce your shortness of breath and increase your ability to exercise.

Avoiding things that make heart failure worse

Avoid triggers, such as too much salt (sodium) and certain medicines, that can cause sudden heart failure. For more information, see:

Heart failure: Avoiding triggers for sudden heart failure.

Treating your sleep problems

Photo of a man

One Man's Story:

Pete, 70

"I was having a lot of trouble getting enough sleep. I was snoring so bad that my wife was sleeping in another room. I'd wake up 7 times a night. Sometimes I'd wake up gasping for breath. The next day I'd be so tired that I'd fall asleep while doing my woodworking in the garage. And I was really fuzzy-headed. I couldn't remember anything.

"I thought it might be my heart failure. So I decided to talk to my doctor about it, and he suggested a sleep study. I found out that I have sleep apnea. I haven't been getting enough oxygen because of it. He put me on a CPAP machine at night. I've used it for the past 4 months.

"It took a little time to get used to sleeping with a mask. But I'm sleeping much better. Now if I wake up, it's only once, and I go right back to sleep. I feel so much better during the day."—Pete

This story is based on information gathered from many people living with heart failure.

Many people with heart failure have trouble sleeping. Your doctor may be able to find out what is causing your sleep problems and help you get a good night's sleep.

For more information, see:

Sleep apnea: Should I have a sleep study?

Insomnia: Improving your sleep.

Getting help for problems with sex

Most people with heart failure can still have an active sex life. But sexual problems are common. Your interest may drop, or you may have shortness of breath or other symptoms that limit your ability to have sex. Men may have erection problems.

Talk to your doctor. You can get help for erection problems or other sexual troubles. You also can follow some tips to make sex easier on your heart. For more information, see the topics:

Other things you can do to take care of yourself

Get help for depression and anxiety if you have them. Heart failure can be hard on your emotions. Many people with heart failure feel depressed or anxious. For more information on how to feel better, see Coping With Your Feelings.
Try some tips for easier breathing.
Avoid respiratory infections. Stay up-to-date on vaccines for flu and pneumonia.
Learn how to make activities like work, exercise, and travel easier.
Work with your team of health professionals.

Help for caregivers

It can be rewarding to help a loved one with heart failure. But it's also a lot of work. And it can be hard emotionally.

If you are taking care of a loved one, make sure that you also take care of yourself. This can mean taking breaks by getting help from family or friends. You also may be able to use respite care. These services provide someone who will stay with your loved one while you get out of the house for a few hours. For more information, see:

More information

By:	Healthwise Staff	Last Revised: February 17, 2010
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD - Cardiology

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