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There’s a lot you may not know about living with heart failure (HF). If you’ve just been diagnosed and have questions or concerns, keep a list of questions to review with your cardiovascular doctor at your next appointment. Patient support groups and online forums are another great resource for information. That said; this article will give you tips about how to control your daily fluid intake.

Is dry mouth a common side effect of HF?

Locate A Specialist For Blood Pressure In ManhattanMany people complain of “cotton mouth” during treatment.  This is a catch 22 for patients with HF. You see, you are required to limit your fluid intake to 8 glasses a day, but the medications to manage HF-particularly diuretics-often lead to dry mouth.

Why is fluid intake limited?

With chronic HF, drinking too much fluid puts stress on your heart and lungs. Life before HF meant that the fluid you drank was absorbed by your blood stream, a supply of it was used to fuel your body, and the excess was expelled. Now, the process isn’t quite as smooth.

HF causes your heart not to pump properly. As a result, the excess fluid that used to get expelled builds up in your blood stream and causes edema often accompanied by shortness of breath. Therefore, your fluid intake is monitored so that your body can still process it at a slower rate without aggravating the HF.

What are some tips for dealing with cotton mouth?

There are ways to combat oral dryness without worsening your symptoms.

These include:

·        Try substituting ice cubes/chips (1 cup of ice equals ¾ a cup of fluid)

·        Snack on fresh vegetables and exotic fruits between meals

·        Chew sugarless gum/candy

·        Use citrus wedges, breath spray, or a few berries to moisten mouth

·        Brush teeth and rinse mouth out, but don’t swallow

Your cardiovascular doctor may have more helpful tips to share, so review this and other questions at your next appointment.

Dr. Seldon, a Heart Doctor and Cardiovascular specialist in New York City, offers same day appointments and all testing is done on site.  Call us at (212) 367-8000.

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