FACES: Early Warning Signs

Know these warning signs. They could save your life.

Warning signs, and when to act on them. Let's get to it.

With heart failure, your body will often warn you before things get serious. Spot those signs and act fast, and you can often avoid the emergency room.

First, the yellow zone. These are signs that mean call your doctor today.

Call your doctor if you gain three or more pounds in a day or two. If swelling in your feet or ankles gets worse. If normal activity leaves you more short of breath. If you need more pillows to sleep. Or if you feel new or worse tiredness. These mean your heart is struggling. Call today.

Here's something important. Calling your doctor early often keeps you out of the emergency room. A small medicine change at home can beat a whole hospital stay.

Now the red zone. These are emergencies. Call 911 right away if you have chest pain or pressure lasting more than fifteen minutes. Severe trouble breathing that doesn't ease with rest. Fainting, or nearly fainting. Or coughing up pink, foamy spit. These can't wait. Don't drive yourself. Call 911.

Waiting too long can be the difference between one phone call that fixes your medicine, and a week in the hospital. Your body is sending a message.

A quick tip. Save your doctor's number, and the heart nurse line, as favorites in your phone. Then, when symptoms hit, you won't be searching.

Share this with your family and caregivers. They should know these signs too. Sometimes others notice a change before we do.

Listen to your body. Trust yourself when something feels off.

Most people with heart failure exercise the wrong way, and make it worse. Want the safe way? Watch next.