What should I know about HF?
- What is heart failure?
- How does a healthy heart work?
- What is heart failure?
- What causes heart failure?
- What are the different types of heart failure?
- What is ejection fraction?
What are the symptoms of HF?
- Symptoms
- Which of my symptoms may be caused by heart failure?
- What symptoms should I pay attention to in my daily routine?
- Heart failure symptom checker
- Warning signs of worsening heart failure
- What are the warning signs of worsening heart failure?
- When should I call my doctor or visit the emergency room?
- Heart failure symptom checker
What tests might I need?
- Testing overview
- What tests are useful in diagnosing and monitoring heart failure?
- Imaging tests
- What is an echocardiogram?
- What will happen during my echocardiogram?
- What other imaging tests are used in heart failure?
- Blood tests
- Are blood tests useful in monitoring heart failure?
- Other tests
- What is cardiac catheterization?
What treatments are available?
- Medications
- Heart failure medications
- What should I do if I experience side effects from my medications?
- Why do I need all these medications?
- Why is it important for me to take my medications as directed?
- How to read a prescription label
- What are some strategies that will help me take my medications as directed?
- Why is my provider adjusting my medications?
- Are there any medications I need to avoid if I have heart failure?
- Devices that can help me
- Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs)
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)
- What is implantable hemodynamic monitoring and how can it help?
- Treatment options for advanced heart failure
- Can heart failure be reversed with surgery?
- What is a ventricular assist device (VAD) and how can it help?
- Do I need a heart transplant?
What lifestyle changes should I make?
- Diet
- What is the best diet for heart failure?
- Heart failure friendly recipes
- Sodium restriction: tips and tools to adhere to a low-sodium diet
- Using nutrition labels to reduce sodium in your diet
- Avoiding high-sodium foods
- Why do I need to restrict sodium in my diet?
- How much sodium is too much?
- How can I reduce sodium in my diet?
- How do I read a food label?
- What can I eat on a low-sodium diet?
- How can I restrict sodium when I eat out?
- Is it safe for me to use a salt substitute?
- Fluid restriction: tips for cutting back on your fluid intake
- Physical activity
- How much exercise can I do and does it help?
What should I track at home?
- Weight
- Why do I need to monitor my weight?
- How do I monitor my weight?
- Blood pressure and heart rate
- Why do I need to monitor my blood pressure at home?
- What should my blood pressure be?
- How do I monitor my blood pressure at home?
- What specifically should I look for in a home blood pressure monitor?
- Does it matter which arm I use when measuring my blood pressure?
- Why do I need to measure my heart rate?
- How do I measure my heart rate?
How can I live well with HF?
- Take charge of your health
- What can I do to live well with heart failure?
- Manage related conditions
- What is atrial fibrillation and what are the risks?
- What is ventricular tachycardia and how is it managed?
- Preventing blood clots after hospitalization for heart failure
- Other lifestyle considerations
- Can heart failure affect your mood?
- Why am I having trouble sleeping?
- Why do I need to quit smoking?
- Do I need to avoid alcohol?
- Is sexual activity safe for heart failure patients?
- Tips for traveling with heart failure
How should I plan for the future?
- Prognosis: What can I expect?
- Can heart failure be cured?
- How can palliative care help someone with heart failure?
- Advance care planning
- What is advance care planning?
- What are the steps involved in advance care planning?
- What are advance directives?
- What are the main types of advance directives?
