Being diagnosed with a heart condition can be overwhelming. Always speak to your healthcare professional if you are unsure about anything.

Here are some information links you may find it useful to read:

• Informational videos about heart problems: Health and Care Video Library – Heart Problems (healthandcarevideos.uk)
• Heart Failure & how it changed my life – a booklet from the British Heart Foundation: his8_1117_heart-failure_a6.pdf (bhf.org.uk)
• Heart failure guide – Pumping Marvellous Heart failure guide – Pumping Marvellous
• Cardiac rehabilitation guide – Pumping Marvellous Cardiac Rehab – Pumping Marvellous
• The heart muscle charity UK: Cardiomyopathy | Cardiomyopathy UK
• Facts from the British Heart Foundation: 5 facts about heart failure that might surprise you – BHF
• How to check your pulse: How do I check my pulse? – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
• How to check your blood pressure using a home monitor: Blood pressure monitors: All you need to know – BHF

Within the heart failure service we aim to help patients understand and monitor their symptoms in order to self-manage and improve their quality of life. To learn more about possible symptoms that may be related to your heart please click on the following links.

Shortness of breath

This can be for many reasons such as having heart failure, an irregular pulse, a lung condition or many other reasons. Below are some links to help you manage your breathlessness.

Breathing techniques to ease breathlessness (Leaflet 3) | CUH

Positions to ease breathlessness (Leaflet 4) | CUH

Hand-held fan (Leaflet 2) | CUH

Videos from our respiratory team. There are seven in total: click the button on the top right to see the list.

Fluid retention such as leg, ankle swelling or bloated abdomen

Many people get some element of ankle swelling when they have been on their feet all day, have varicose veins or are overweight, it can be nothing to worry about.  However, it may be a sign of fluid retention due to your heart failure.

Weighing yourself regularly is something you can do – sudden weight gain may mean too much fluid is building up in your body and will need treated.

Elevate your legs when sat where able. Moisturise your legs if they look dry.

Monitor your weight using this daily weight chart: Daily Weight Monitoring Chart

Dizziness

Report any dizziness to your Heart Failure Nurse or GP, especially if it occurs after taking your medication.

Learn more about dizziness here: Dizziness – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Tiredness

Learn more about tiredness here: Why am I tired all the time? – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Angina

Learn more about Angina here: Angina – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Cold hands and feet

It can be normal to have cold hands and feet if you are on beta blockers. If so take measures to wrap up warmly, such as thicker socks and gloves. If you have cold hands or feet, and one is different to the other, is pale, painful, a strange colour then you need to see a doctor.

Erectile dysfunction

It’s not uncommon for gentlemen with heart failure and taking beta blocker medication such as bisoprolol tablets to experience some erectile dysfunction. Learn more about erectile dysfunction here: Erectile dysfunction (impotence) – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Here are some links with information about potential treatments to help with the symptoms of heart failure

Medication and Pacemakers:  Heart failure – Treatment – NHS (www.nhs.uk)   `

Dapagliflozin/Forxiga: Forxiga-HeartFailure-PatientBooklet.pdf