Heart failure: Checking your weight
How do you check your weight when you have heart failure?
It’s easy to keep track of your weight if you check it every day. Here are some tips:
- Weigh yourself at the same time each day. Use the same scale on a hard, flat surface. The best time is in the morning after you go to the bathroom and before you eat or drink anything.
- Wear the same thing each time you weigh yourself, or always wear nothing. Don't wear shoes.
- Keep a calendar by the scale. Write your weight on it each day. Take your calendar with you when you see your doctor.
If you suddenly gain weight, call your doctor. Your doctor may tell you how much weight to watch out for. But in general, call your doctor if you gain 3 lb (1.4 kg) or more in 2 to 3 days. If you are gaining weight slowly, tell your doctor on your next visit.
Keep a few notes on your calendar about how you feel each day. Here are some things to ask yourself:
- Is it harder to catch your breath?
- Are you more tired?
- Are your feet and ankles swollen?
- Do your legs or belly seem puffy?
Tell your doctor if you are having to prop yourself up at night to breathe, or if you wake up in the night feeling out of breath.
Test Your Knowledge
If you suddenly gain weight, it's okay to wait and see what happens.
You should weigh yourself every day and at the same time each day.
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| Author: | Deborah Dakins | Last Updated: October 15, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine George Philippides, MD - Cardiology | |
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