How long are you hospitalized for congestive heart failure?
June 1, 2010 — The average hospital stay for heart failure has declined from almost nine days to just over six days in a little over a decade, but there is new evidence patients may be being sent home too soon.
When should you go to the hospital for congestive heart failure?
Go to the emergency room or call your local emergency number if you have heart failure and have a weight gain of more than 5 pounds in a week, an inability to lie flat, shortness of breath at rest, increased swelling and discomfort in the lower body, or a constant, hacking cough.
Are you hospitalized for congestive heart failure?
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a serious condition associated with high hospitalization and mortality rates.
How is congestive heart failure treated in the hospital?
Doctors usually treat heart failure with a combination of medications. Depending on your symptoms, you might take one or more medications, including: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. These drugs relax blood vessels to lower blood pressure, improve blood flow and decrease the strain on the heart.
What should you not do if you have congestive heart failure?
Avoid These Foods if You Have Heart Failure
- Alcohol. Heart failure prevents the heart from pumping as well as it used to.
- Salt. Consuming too much salt (sodium) can result in fluid retention in the healthiest of people.
- Highly Processed Grains.
- Processed Meats.
How does CHF feel?
Chest pain. Fainting or severe weakness. Rapid or irregular heartbeat associated with shortness of breath, chest pain or fainting. Sudden, severe shortness of breath and coughing up white or pink, foamy mucus.
What is a commonly prescribed drug for congestive heart failure?
There are many different types of diuretic, but the most widely used for heart failure are furosemide (also called frusemide) and bumetanide. Possible side effects of diuretics include dehydration and reduced levels of sodium and potassium in the blood.
Does drinking water help CHF?
Good hydration may prevent or slow down changes in the heart that lead to the condition. Drinking eight glasses a water a day throughout your life could reduce the risk of heart failure 25 years later, according to new research.