If you have problems with your heart, controlling your salt intake is important to your health. Whether you have had heart surgery or your heart muscle is weak, the sodium in salt holds on to fluids and makes your heart work harder than necessary to keep up. When your heart is sick, it needs all the help you can give it, and laying off the salt shaker can sometimes make the difference between an extended hospital stay and feeling fine. Ask your doctor what your sodium restriction is, and follow it precisely.
Heart Bypass Surgery
Heart bypass surgery is also known as coronary artery bypass graft. In this procedure, the vessels that supply blood to your heart have a blockage in them. Your doctor takes a vein from your leg or your arm and creates a small piece of vessel to bypass the blockage and restore blood supply to your heart tissue beyond it. Following surgery, it is important to keep your sodium intake low for several reasons. First, salt holds on to fluid and creates more volume for the heart to pump. This makes your heart work harder, which your doctor does not want after surgery. Second, that fluid makes your blood pressure higher and that puts strains on the bypass grafts the doctor inserted in the surgery. Your doctor will give you a sodium restriction guideline, but most aim for 3 to 4 grams of sodium per day, according to the University of Southern California.
Heart Failure
Heart failure is a condition that is caused by your heart's inability to effectively pump blood. The muscle is weakened through some cause and is unable to pump blood out of the lungs or from the body and then back out to the rest of the body. This causes swelling in the legs, chest congestion, shortness of breath and weight gain. Your doctor will prescribe a low-salt diet to help keep your fluid levels low and reduce strain on your heart. Most doctors will recommend that your do not take in more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
High Blood Pressure
Many heart patients also have high blood pressure, and reducing your salt intake is just one way of lowering your pressure. According to the National Institutes of Health's
"Lower Your Blood Pressure with DASH," normal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg. Prehypertension is if your top number, or systolic blood pressure, is between 120 and 139, or if your bottom number, or diastolic blood pressure, is between 80 and 89. A pressure over 140/90 mmHg is considered high. Your doctor will likely recommend 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day for a conservative diet. However, the best recommendation to lower your blood pressure is 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day.
Low-salt Diet Tips
It might seem difficult to cut your salt intake at first, but with a few modifications, you should have no trouble eating this way naturally. Try salt substitutes, but ask your doctor first. If you have kidney problems, they are not for you. Do not use salt when cooking, and take the salt shakers off the table. Stay away from processed and prepackaged foods because they contain a great deal of hidden sodium. Read food labels to keep accurate records of your sodium intake. Limit your use of fast foods and convenience foods. Cook for yourself, instead. That way, you can control how much salt is added and stay within your limitations. Use lemon, dill and other herbs to add flavor to your meals.
Member Comments