Healthy Living

The words “congestive heart failure” sound frightening, as if your heart were on its last legs and there was nothing you could do about it.

Although it is true that this disease can be serious, it is not true that there is nothing you can do to fight it.

But first, let’s talk about the disease itself. Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is caused by there being more water in your cardiovascular system — veins, arteries and capillaries — than your heart can pump.

There can be many causes, but the end result is that you have what is called fluid volume overload. This is merely a fancy way of saying there is too much water in your body.

Sometimes this water will build up in the veins to the point where it starts to settle in places it shouldn’t.

It might leak into parts of your body that are typically lower such as your feet, ankles and legs causing them to swell. The water might also leak into your lungs, causing you to feel as if you can’t breathe. This can be very frightening and it is the main reason that people come to the hospital.

How can you prevent it? Just remember where salt goes, water follows. If you eat lots of salt, then you will also keep more water in your body.

Any food that is canned, preserved or processed is likely to have too much salt in it. High salt foods may include canned soups, frozen dinners, fast food and smoked salted meats.

Any meat processed pork product such as ham, bacon or sausage usually has a large amount of salt. Soda and other soft drinks can also be high in sodium. When in doubt, read labels for sodium content. Since a person’s tolerance for salt can vary, you should discuss how much salt you can have with your doctor.

Finally, how do you know if you’re keeping in too much water? Do you have to wait for swelling or shortness of breath to occur? The answer is no — you can keep track by weighing yourself every morning in the same clothes after using the bathroom. If you gain more than 2 pounds in 24 hours then you may have too much water in your system and should contact your doctor.

If you would like to learn more about Congestive Heart Failure you can visit the American Heart Association’s Website at www.heart.org. You are also welcome to join the Backus Hospital’s Cardiac Support Group held in the Backus Medical Office Building Conference Room on the second Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. For more information, call 860-889-8331, ext. 2554.

Matthew Hughes is a registered nurse on Backus Hospital’s E-4 cardiac unit. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Mr. Hughes or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org