A number of disease processes can cause congestive heart failure, but the end result is the same: The heart, which is basically a four-chambered pump, stops pumping efficiently. Blood then backs up into the large blood vessels that lead to and from the heart. Fluid leaks out of the blood vessels and accumulates in the tissues -- causing swelling of the extremities, called edema -- or backs up into the lungs, making breathing difficult. Dietary restrictions can help control CHF and help people manage their disease.
Sodium's Role
Sodium plays a very large role in controlling CHF symptoms. Because sodium holds fluid, excess sodium intake can increase blood volume, which gives the heart more blood to pump around. This can weaken the heart further, making symptoms worse. Decreasing sodium intake decreases the amount of fluid in the body.
Sources
Following a low-sodium diet consists of more than just putting the salt shaker away. Most people get 75 percent of their daily sodium intake from processed foods and only 5 to 10 percent from what they add to food, according to the United States Food and Drug Administration. Another 10 percent occurs naturally in foods. Cutting down on sodium intake is, most important, a matter of reading nutrition labels.
Control
Typically, in a healthy diet, sodium is limited to between 1,500 and 2,000 mg per day. Get in the habit of not adding any table salt, the highest source of sodium, to your food at all; 1/4 tsp. of salt contains 590 mg of sodium. If you eat processed foods at all, choose only those with less than 250 mg per serving, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center suggests. Certain words on the nutrition labels let you know the products contain large amounts of sodium. In addition to avoiding any food labeled with the word sodium, avoid foods labeled as containing monosodium glutamate or brine, or foods that are corned, pickled or smoked.
Fluid Restriction
Fluid restriction is another way to decrease the fluid volume in your body and reduce the heart's workload as well as the amount of fluid in tissues. The less fluid you take in, the less your body can hold on to. You do need to drink enough to avoid getting dehydrated, though. Common fluid restrictions may range from 1,500 to 2,000 cc or ml per day. Since 1 ounce contains 30 cc of fluid, this means a daily intake of between 50 and 66 ounces of fluid per day.
