If you smoke or chew tobacco, you'll be advised to stop. You will also need to weigh yourself daily and record your weight to detect fluid retention. ACE inhibitors and vasodilators expand blood vessels and increase blood flow. Beta blockers can improve the heart's ability to relax and decrease the production of harmful substances produced by the body in response to heart failure. Digitalis makes the heart pump better.
Diuretics help the body eliminate excess salt and water.
Inotropic therapy is used to stimulate an injured or weakened heart to pump harder to send blood through the body. Potassium supplements replace the potassium that may be lost because of increased urination from diuretics. You may need to take more than one drug. In some cases, when drugs don't improve heart function enough, surgery is necessary. Early diagnosis and treatment of heart-valve abnormalities can prevent CHF caused by chronic volume overload of the heart's left chamber.