Living With Heart Failure: Daily Self-Care and Support

Living with heart failure means learning what helps you feel your best and when to ask for help. This article describes general self-care steps from the NHS and the US CDC. It does not replace the plan your own care team gives you.

What to expect day to day

The NHS says symptoms can vary from day to day, but with management the condition can stay stable for many years. Work may need to be adjusted, and some people stop working. The NHS also notes that drivers must tell the licensing authority and should check with their insurer, though rules differ by country, so ask your care team what applies where you live.

Medicines and check-ups

The NHS lists taking medicines as prescribed as a key self-help step. It names groups such as diuretics, which reduce fluid build-up, and beta blockers, which slow the heart. Your doctor chooses the medicines and tells you how to take them. Do not stop or change prescribed treatment without talking to your doctor. The NHS also recommends having the vaccinations your doctor advises.

Keep track of your weight and symptoms

The NHS suggests weighing yourself regularly. This matters because sudden weight gain is one of the symptoms of heart failure, and the NHS says it should prompt an urgent call to your doctor. The CDC suggests tracking symptoms each day so you can discuss them with your care team. Write down changes in breathlessness, swelling and tiredness.

Food, fluids and activity

The CDC lists reducing sodium (salt) in the diet and limiting fluid intake among the ways heart failure is managed. Your doctor will tell you whether you need a fluid limit and how much. The NHS recommends eating a balanced diet, keeping to a healthy weight, not smoking and drinking less alcohol.

Both sources encourage staying active. The NHS includes staying active among self-help steps, and the CDC mentions daily physical activity. The NHS says cardiac rehabilitation is offered to everyone diagnosed with heart failure and covers safe exercise, lifestyle advice and peer support. Ask your team what level of activity is safe for you before you start something new.

Emotional wellbeing and support

Living with a long-term condition can affect mood. The NHS says support is available from charities such as the British Heart Foundation and Pumping Marvellous, and from NHS talking therapies, which can be accessed without a referral. If you are in India or the United States, ask your doctor about local support groups, counselling and help lines. If you feel very low or hopeless, tell a health professional or someone you trust.

The NHS adds that palliative care teams can help with symptoms, practical needs and support for families, and can also help with end-of-life care when appropriate. Palliative care is about comfort and support alongside other treatment.

Procedures and devices

The NHS says that some people may be offered procedures, such as a pacemaker, a defibrillator device or valve surgery, depending on the cause. For severe heart failure, a heart pump or a transplant may be considered. These are decisions made with a specialist.

When to see a doctor

Contact your doctor promptly if you feel breathless lying down or during everyday activity, cough up frothy pink phlegm, or gain weight suddenly. The NHS advises an urgent appointment or a call to a health helpline in these cases.

Seek emergency help for severe breathing difficulty, such as gasping, choking or being unable to speak fully, pale, blue or grey lips or skin, or if someone has passed out and is not responding normally. The NHS says not to drive yourself to hospital.

In an emergency, call your local emergency number (112 in India, 911 in the United States).