Heart failure does not mean your heart has stopped
It means your heart isn’t pumping as efficiently as it should. With the right medications and daily habits, most people manage heart failure well and stay out of the hospital.
What do you need right now?
Know your zones
Daily weight, symptoms, and how you feel tell you which zone you’re in.
🟢 Green — doing well
Stable weight, no new or worsening symptoms, able to do usual activities. Keep doing what you’re doing.
🟡 Yellow — contact your provider
Weight up 2-3 lbs in a day or 5 lbs in a week, increased swelling, new or worsening shortness of breath with activity.
🔴 Red — call 911
Severe shortness of breath at rest, especially lying flat, or chest pain. Don’t wait to see if it passes.
Which zone are you in today?
4 quick questions. Nothing here is saved or stored — this stays in your browser.
1. Weight gain of 2+ lbs overnight, or 5+ lbs in the past week?
2. More swelling in your legs, ankles, or belly than usual?
3. More short of breath with activity, or trouble breathing lying flat?
4. More tired than usual, or a new dry cough?
This is a general check-in, not a personal determination or diagnosis. Severe shortness of breath at rest or chest pain is Red Zone — call 911, don’t wait to see if it passes.
These medications are protective, not just symptomatic
Several heart failure medications actively extend life and reduce hospitalizations, beyond just managing symptoms. Taking them consistently — even when you feel fine — matters.
Medication options
For context, not a recommendation — your cardiologist will help choose what fits your situation.
| Medication class | What it does | When it’s used |
|---|---|---|
| Diuretics (“water pills”) | Help your body remove extra fluid | Almost everyone with heart failure; daily |
| ACE / ARB / ARNI | Lower stress on the heart, help it work more efficiently | Most people with heart failure |
| Beta blockers | Slow the heart and let it work more efficiently over time | Most people with heart failure |
| SGLT2 inhibitors | Help the heart and kidneys; originally diabetes drugs, now standard for heart failure | Increasingly recommended for most heart failure types |
| MRA (spironolactone, eplerenone) | Block a hormone that worsens heart failure | Often added when heart failure is more advanced |
The information here describes how a class of medications generally works and what to discuss with your provider or pharmacist. It is not a prescription, a recommendation of a specific drug or dose, or instructions to start, stop, or change any medication. Decisions about medications belong to you and your prescribing clinician.
Building your care team
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Search for a cardiologist or heart failure program near you.