How to reduce swelling of feet due to heart failure

Heart failure is a very serious heart disease. When this disease occurs, our heart function will slowly slow down, and the heart may stop beating. Most people will experience swollen feet due to heart failure. At this time, the heart's blood output will decrease, and our brain will feel insufficient blood supply to the brain. So how can we reduce the swelling of the feet due to heart failure?

How to reduce swelling of feet due to heart failure

Heart failure refers to a decrease in cardiac output, which leads to activation of antidiuretic factor, decreased renal blood flow, and increased reabsorption of sodium and water in the distal convoluted tubules and collecting ducts, resulting in sodium and water retention. At the same time, refractory heart failure is accompanied by refractory edema, which often causes the ineffectiveness of diuretics and further aggravates the refractory edema.

The main treatment measures are

First, limit water and sodium intake to relieve symptoms of edema and heart failure. Sodium salt should be strictly limited to less than 2 grams per day. If serum sodium is normal and edema is difficult to subside, sodium salt can be further limited to less than 1 gram per day in the short term. Water intake should be controlled at 1200 ml per day.

Second, the treatment of hyponatremia. If the patient has dilutional hyponatremia, first, use the osmotic diuretic mannitol, then give the cardiotonic drug digoxin, and then inject 100 to 200 mg 20 minutes later.

The combined use of three diuretics. For such patients, the effect of using only one diuretic may not be ideal. The combined use of diuretics includes loop diuretics and parent diuretics. Small doses of dopamine and dobutamine can also be given. Aminophylline can increase renal blood flow. In case of hypoproteinemia, albumin delivery can improve the effect of diuretics.

Fourth, ultrafiltration is an effective auxiliary measure for the treatment of refractory cardiogenic edema and foot swelling in patients with congestive heart failure. In addition to reducing blood volume, it can also block the vicious cycle between neurohormonal regulation and hemodynamics.