Monitoring Fluid Retention for Heart Failure

If your parent has heart failure, one of the important symptoms that needs to be monitored is fluid retention. Make a daily weigh-in part of the morning routine: your parent should step on the scale at the same time each day, after urinating but before breakfast. Write the weight down in a notebook and keep track. Notify the doctor if your parent gains three or more pounds in a day or five or more pounds in a week.

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Definition of Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure (CHF), or heart failure, is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to the body's other organs. Causes include coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and heart valve disorders.

See Also

1. Heart Failure Related Content
2. Heart
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