Heart failure means that your heart muscle doesn't pump as much blood as your body needs. Because your heart can't pump well, your body tries to make up for it. To do this:

• Your body holds on to salt and water. This increases the amount of blood in your bloodstream.
• Your heart beats faster.
• Your heart gets bigger.

Your body tries hard to make up for heart failure. But at some point, it won't be able to keep up. The heart gets worn out. Then fluid will start to build up in the body. This fluid buildup is called congestion. This extra fluid shows up on the scale when you weigh yourself.

It’s this congestion that can lead to other symptoms of heart failure. These include shortness of breath, tiredness, and swelling in your belly and legs. For many people, if their heart failure gets worse, their symptoms get worse too.

Your doctor will tell you how to manage ups and downs in your weight caused by fluid buildup. For example, if you have a slight weight increase, your doctor may want you to take an extra water pill (diuretic).

Checking your weight helps you manage your heart failure. It helps you know when to call your doctor. Tracking your weight also helps your doctor know if your treatment for heart failure is working.

It’s easy to keep track of your weight if you check it every day. Here are some tips:

• Weigh yourself at the same time each day. Use the same scale on a hard, flat surface. The best time is in the morning after you go to the bathroom and before you eat or drink anything.
• Wear the same thing each time you weigh yourself, or always wear nothing. Don't wear shoes.
• Keep a calendar by the scale. Write your weight on it each day. Take your calendar with you when you see your doctor.

If you suddenly gain weight, call your doctor. Your doctor may tell you how much weight to watch out for. But in general, call your doctor if you gain 3lb or more in 2 to 3 days. If you are gaining weight slowly, tell your doctor on your next visit.

Keep a few notes on your calendar about how you feel each day. Here are some things to ask yourself:

• Is it harder to catch your breath?
• Are you more tired?
• Are your feet and ankles swollen?
• Do your legs or belly seem puffy?

Tell your doctor if you are having to prop yourself up at night to breathe, or if you wake up in the night feeling out of breath.

Now that you have read this information, you are ready to start checking your weight.

Talk to your doctor

If you have questions about this information, print it out and take it with you when you visit your doctor. You may want to write notes in the margins where you have questions.

Many hospitals and insurers have disease management programs to help people learn more about their heart failure.

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