heart healthy diet
General
SN instructed that is important to keep in mind that consistency is the key when regulating your Coumadin diet. Unless your doctor instructs you to, you should not try to omit all Vitamin K from your diet. Vitamin K foods are important to the overall health of your body by strengthening bones and improving the health of your arteries. Vitamin K is Coumadin's antidote so managing your intake is an important factor in staying therapeutic. Some foods that have high Vitamin K include: Cabbage, Broccoli, Spinach, Escarole, Turnip Greens, Lettuce, Brussels, Sprouts, Endive, Kale, Cauliflower, among others.
SN instructed patient / caregiver on the home treatment to treating edema, or swelling due to excess fluid in the legs and ankles. Treatment may include elevating the feet above heart level, wearing compression stockings and exercising the legs. Reducing sodium in the diet, losing weight and avoiding tight clothing can also reduce swelling.
SN instructed patient on the diabetes. Make wise food choices. Choose fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, lean meats, and low - fat dairy products. Learn when to eat and how much to have.Be physically active for 30 to 60 minutes most days, such as taking a brisk walk as tolerated. Two times a week do activities to strengthen muscles and bone, such as lifting weights or sit - ups. Reach and stay at a healthy weight. Making wise food choices and being active can help you control your weight. Take your medicines as prescribed and keep taking them, even after you’ve reached your targets.
Instructed patient that when traveling with an LVAD will involve some extra planning and preparation.When scheduling a trip, discuss your plans ahead of time with your LVAD team. They‘ll help you be as independent as possible, and still stay safe and healthy. They can also provide you with the necessary travel documents, as well as helpful tips. Understanding was verbalized.
SN instructed care giver that changing a patient's position in bed every 2 hours helps keep blood flowing. This helps the skin stay healthy and prevents bedsores.
SN instructed patient that High blood pressure makes your heart work harder than it needed to before. Over the space of many years, this extra effort can lead to the heart muscle becoming thicker and less effective at pushing the blood round. This allows fluid to build up in your lower legs and ankles, which causes them to swell up.
SN to educate patient on CPAP machine as follows: CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. The machines help people with sleep apnea breathe more easily and regularly every night while they are sleeping. A CPAP machine increases the air pressure in your throat to prevent your airway from collapsing when you inhale. Patient admits that most nights he goes to bed with Cpap, but finds mask on floor after waking in AM. SN to advise patient of importance of wearing Cpap as follows: The CPAP breathing machine is used by people with chronic obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder which causes airways to close up during sleep. People with obstructive sleep apnea stop breathing while sleeping. When breathing stops the individual is suddenly jolted awake, gasping for air. Patient to deny any sleep issues lately. People with sleep apnea often do not remember these episodes, but instead experience chronic fatigue that they have no explanation for. Over time, sleep apnea can increase the risk of hypertension, heart failure, heart attack, and stroke. Patient verbalized understanding of teaching today. SN to continue to monitor.
SN instructed patient and caregiver on measures to relieve legs edema : elevate legs above the level of your heart several times a day. In some cases, elevating legs while you sleep may be helpful; reduce salt intake, salt can increase fluid retention and worsen edema; moving and using the legs muscles, may help pump the excess fluid back toward your heart.
Instructed to follow therapeutic diet, including adequate fluid intake to ensure proper nutrition and hydration.
SN assessment done on all body systems. Checked blood sugar daily monitoring on patient's log book, hydration, dietary, and medication compliance. Instructed patient on keeping blood glucose within normal range and preventing the development of long-term complication. Careful monitoring of diet, exercise and blood sugar levels are as important as the use of oral medications in preventing complications of diabetes. Also taught infection control, safety/fall precautions and preventions, and to contact MD for any emergency and/or medical concerns and changes.