Lifestyle Changes
Living with heart failure does mean some lifestyle changes. Diet, exercise, and other healthy habits can help control symptoms. And they improve your overall health.
You can reverse some forms of heart failure by reducing salt and fluids from your body. If you have a chronic form, we help you set healthy diet and exercise habits so that you can live a full life.
These lifestyle changes can help:
- Avoid alcohol
- Quit smoking
- Work with your doctor on an exercise program
- Lose weight (if needed)
- Eat a healthy diet that's low in fat and salt, and high in fiber
- Manage your stress
- Don't have too many fluids (in some patients)
Living With Heart Failure: Take Your Medication
Medications help reduce the work of your heart. They may also help your heart beat stronger.
It's important to fill your prescriptions without missing a dose. Even if you feel better, don't stop taking medicine without talking to your doctor.
Support for Heart Failure Patients
Heart Health at Home
This free program provides follow-up care and support for patients recently sent home from the hospital.
Certified nursing assistants who specialize in heart care visit you Monday through Saturday for the first 5 days after get home. They return 2 or 3 days a week throughout your first month at home.
After the first month, your at-home care team sets up visits as you need them.
To be eligible for this program, you must live within 60 miles of Charlottesville.
Device Implants
We treat heart failure with a number of implanted heart devices. These may help you manage your heart failure or may be a support on your way to a heart transplant. Heart failure treatment with a device may include:
- Implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD)
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy
- Intra-aortic balloon pump
- Ventricular assist devices (VADs)
- CardioMEMS