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Communicating with your doctor
Symptoms that could make a doctor suspect heart failure call for a complete physical exam. Before the exam, start a written record of any symptoms and give a copy to your doctor when you arrive—even better, a day or two before your appointment, to give the physician time to look it over. The diary should describe your symptoms: how they make you feel, what activities bring them on, what makes them go away, and which ones are the most uncomfortable.
Other information you should provide:
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Relevant personal and family history: whether you or any first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, or children) have or had heart or blood vessel disease, cardiomyopathy, diabetes, kidney disease, or high blood pressure.
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Personal habits and information: whether you smoke, what you eat (especially whether you eat a lot of salty or fatty foods), whether you drink any form of alcohol (and if so, how much), and how satisfied you are with your home life, your job, and your sexual activity.
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A list of all medications you are taking—prescription, over-the-counter, herbals, and supplements—along with the dosages.
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Any allergies.
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Records of visits to any other doctors or to an emergency room.
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A record of your weight, recorded every morning after urinating but before eating (if requested).
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A record of your blood sugar or blood pressure (if requested).
A pad and pen are a patient's best friends. Jot down questions for the doctor whenever they occur to you. Bring them in, and write down the doctor's answers. They are easy to forget.
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