Weigh yourself every day
Monitoring your weight is important because your
weight is one way to tell if your heart function is worsening and/or your
medications are working to reduce excess body fluid. Fluid retention can be a
sign of worsening heart failure or a sign that your medications need to be adjusted.
When you weigh yourself:
- Use the same scale.
- Wear similar clothing each time you weigh yourself.
- Weigh yourself at the same time each day (for example, when you get up in the morning).
- Weigh yourself before eating and after urinating.
- Record your weight in a diary or on a calendar.
- Call your doctor or nurse if you gain 3 pounds in one day or 5 pounds in one week.
Note: Ask your health care provider for a complete listing of foods high in sodium.
Fluid intake
If your doctor requires you to restrict your fluids,
record the amount of liquids you drink/eat every day. You may need to restrict
your fluids to 8¼ cups (which is equal to 2 liters or 64 ounces) every 24 hours.
Recording your fluid intake will help make sure that
you are not taking in more fluids than expected. It is a good idea to write this
information on a calendar.
To record your fluid intake, you will need to learn
the number of cc’s (cubic centimeters) or ml’s (milliliters) in common servings.
Some sample measurements are included in the box below.
Note that some foods are considered to be "fluids."
Keep a record of daily fluid intake until you feel at ease with your fluid
restriction and can figure out your fluid intake without measuring liquids.
One way to keep track of your fluid intake:
Fill a 2-quart pitcher or 2-liter soda bottle to the
top with water and place it in plain view in the kitchen. Every time you drink
or eat something that is considered a fluid, remove the same amount of water
from the pitcher/bottle. When the pitcher/bottle is empty, you have had your
limit of fluids for the day.
Note: Being thirsty does not mean your body needs more
fluid. You need to be careful NOT to replace the fluids that diuretics (water
pills) have helped your body get rid of.
Here are some tips for decreasing thirst
- Nibble on frozen grapes or strawberries
- Suck on ice chips (not cubes), a sucker or wash cloth soaked in ice-cold water
- Cover your lips with petroleum jelly, flavored lip balm, or lip moisturizer
- Suck on hard candy or chew gum (sugarless)
- Avoid milk or ice cream products, as they increase thirst
- Avoid sodium (salt), as it increases thirst
Fluid measurements
1 ounce = 30 cc
8 ounces = 240 cc
1 cup = 8 ounces = 240 cc
Sample measurements
Coffee cup = 200 cc
Clear glass = 240 cc
Milk carton = 240 cc
Small milk carton = 120 cc
Juice, Jell-o or ice cream cup = 120 cc
Soup bowl = 160 cc
Popsicle half = 40 cc
Sources
http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/5360_HFGuidelineFinal.pdf
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http://www.hfsa.org/hf_guidelines.asp