Here is an action plan for those with heart failure:
Every day
- Weigh yourself in the morning – but before breakfast – after you use the bathroom and write down your weight.
- Take your medicine as you have been instructed.
- Check for swelling in your feet, ankles, legs and stomach.
- Eat low-salt food and watch the amount of fluid you drink.
- Balance activity and rest periods.
- Find your heart failure zone.
Green zone
All clear: this zone is your goal!
- No shortness of breath
- No weight gain of more than 2 pounds
- No swelling of your feet, ankles, legs or stomach
- No chest pain
Yellow zone
- Caution – this zone is a warning. Call your doctor or Community Cares at 316-268-5255.
- You have a weight gain of three pounds or more in one day.
- You feel short of breath.
- You have more swelling in your feet, ankles, legs or stomach.
- You feel more tired or have no energy.
- You have a dry, hacky cough.
- You feel dizzy.
- You feel uneasy; you know something is wrong.
- It is harder for you to breathe when lying down or you need to sleep sitting up in a chair.
- You wake up from your sleep short of breath or in a panic to breathe.
Red zone
- Call your doctor or Community Cares to discuss symptoms if you have any of the following:
- You are struggling to breathe and shortness of breath does not get better while sitting still.
- You have confusion or can’t think clearly.