Avoiding triggers for sudden heart failure

Introduction

Key points

• Sudden heart failure can be prevented by avoiding the triggers that cause it.
• Not all people are sensitive to or react to the same triggers. What may cause sudden heart failure in one person may not cause another person any difficulty.
• To avoid sudden heart failure:
  • Pay attention to your symptoms. Changes in your weight, difficulty breathing, decreased appetite, and swelling (usually first noticed in the feet and legs) may be signs that your heart failure is getting worse.
  • Keep your diet, exercise, and medicine routine as close to the same schedule as possible.
  • Avoid things that you know can trigger heart failure, such as eating too much salt.

 What is sudden heart failure?
 Why is it important to avoid triggers for heart failure?
 How can I avoid triggers for sudden heart failure?
 Where to go from here

Return to topic:

• Heart Failure
• Dilated Cardiomyopathy
• Restrictive Cardiomyopathy

Author:	Robin Parks, MS	Last Updated September 1, 2006
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology
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