How to Treat Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure is a serious and all too common condition that causes the heart to pump less blood and power the removal of less waste from the body. The causes of congestive heart failure vary and so the treatment needs to be fine tuned for each patient. However, taking a few basic steps will help to treat congestive heart failure.

Instructions

• 1

  See your doctor. Seeing a doctor about congestive heart failure is critical since the doctor must determine exactly what is causing the heart failure. The trouble might stem from a genetic disease, a former illness or one of many other possibilities. On the basis of this diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe you the correct course of treatment.

• 2

  Take your meds. Almost all cases of congestive heart failure require medication of some sort. You might be given diuretics to stimulate waste removal, Dixogin to strengthen the heart's action, beta blockers or even a pacemaker to keep the heart pumping regularly. Whatever you're prescribed, it's important for you to take the medication, even if it means that you'll be taking it for the rest of your life.

• 3

  Reduce salt. One of the more common treatments for congestive heart failure is reducing salt in the diet. Salt causes you to retain water, making the load on the heart heavier. Your doctor will give you a specific diet to follow, but as a general guide start to pay attention to your daily salt intake so you know where you stand.

• 4

  Exercise in moderation. While the conventional wisdom with regard to congestive heart failure used to be that "rest is best," today most doctors think that some level of exercise help to strengthen the heart and improve the condition. Find out from your doctor what kind of exercise you should do and often to do it. Continue to rest regularly and as needed but don't neglect exercise.

• 5

  Consider surgery. In certain cases, congestive heart failure is caused by a damaged heart valve. Sometimes, the faulty heart valve can be replaced. In other cases, the damage is so widespread that a heart transplant is the only option. Discuss surgical options with your doctor to find out about possible treatments.