Monitoring the Fluid you Drink and Eat

It is very important that people with heart failure limit the amount of fluids (also called water or liquid) they consume on a daily basis. Fluid consumption results in an increase in the amount of blood in a person’s body, which requires that the heart must work harder to pump the extra blood. This extra work puts strain on the heart of people with heart failure.

People with heart failure often have fluid (also called water or liquid) build-up in their body. This fluid builds-up because the heart can not pump strongly enough to get rid of the extra fluid through the kidneys. Fluid can build up in different parts of the body; most often it builds up in the following parts:

Therefore, monitoring how much fluid you drink and eat each day is very important. Remember that fluids are anything that has liquid in it or that is liquid at room temperature. Even the water you drink to take your pills should be counted.

The following items should be considered liquids when you are calculating your daily fluid intake:

• Water/Ice cubes
• Milk
• Coffee/Tea
• Juice/Soft drinks
• Alcoholic drinks
• Fresh/Frozen fruit
• Broths/Soup
• Jell-O/Pudding
• Popsicles
• Ice cream/Sherbet/Frozen yogurt

Most people with heart failure should not have more than 6 to 8 cups of fluid per day (including the fluid in foods). Speak to your health care professional to know how much fluid you should take in.

Dry mouth is common in heart failure patients with fluid restrictions. Here are some tips to help relieve dry mouth and feel more comfortable: