Emergency signs first (Red Zone — call 911)

Chest discomfort, pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back: call 911.
Severe shortness of breath while resting or sitting still, or coughing up pink, foamy spit: call 911.
Fainting, sudden confusion, or stroke signs (face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty): call 911.

Never stop taking your heart, blood pressure, or water-pill (diuretic) medicines on your own. In emotional crisis or thinking about harming yourself: call or text 988.

Call 911 Call 988 Text 988

Español: señales de emergencia y pasos clave

Heart failure daily weight, swelling & warning signs

When the heart pumps less efficiently, extra fluid shows up on the scale before it causes severe breathlessness. Weighing every morning and knowing your numbers helps you and your clinician act early. Everything on this page runs in your browser; nothing is sent or saved.

Morning routine

How to weigh yourself each morning (4 steps)

From MedlinePlus / NIH Heart Failure Home Monitoring (the weight rule and the call threshold are quoted from there):

Same time every morning: Weigh yourself right after you wake up — after you use the bathroom and before you eat breakfast or drink fluids.
Same scale, same clothing: Place the scale on a flat, hard floor (not carpet) and wear similar light clothing each morning.
Write it down every day: Record your weight on a paper refrigerator chart or bring it to your clinic visit.
Know the action threshold: Call your health care provider the same day if your weight goes up by more than 2 to 3 pounds (1 to 1.5 kilograms) in a day or 5 pounds (2 kilograms) in a week.

Action plan

Green, Yellow, and Red zones for heart failure

This page sorts the MedlinePlus “contact your provider” signs into zones. Coughing up pink, foamy spit is sent to 911 here to be safe; MedlinePlus lists it as a reason to contact your provider. Your own clinic’s plan comes first.

Green Zone: Stable

Weight has not gone up by more than 2 pounds in 1 day or by 5 pounds in 1 week (the check below uses the lower, 2-pound end of the MedlinePlus range)
Breathing is comfortable during your usual daily activities and at night
No new swelling in your feet, ankles, legs, or belly
Action: Keep taking your medicines as prescribed, weigh every morning, and follow your low-sodium plan.

Yellow Zone: Call clinician today

Weight goes up by more than 2 to 3 pounds (1 to 1.5 kg) in a day or 5 pounds (2 kg) in a week
New or worsening swelling in feet, ankles, legs, or belly (shoes or waistbands feel tight)
Needing more pillows or sitting up to sleep, or waking up 1 to 2 hours after falling asleep short of breath
New wet or hacking cough, more breathlessness with everyday tasks, or new dizziness
Action: Call your cardiologist or primary-care clinic the same day. Catching these signs early can help you stay out of the hospital (MedlinePlus 000113).

Red Zone: Call 911 now

Chest pain, pressure, tightness, or squeezing
Struggling to breathe while resting or sitting still
Coughing up pink, foamy spit
Fainting, severe confusion, or stroke symptoms
Action: Call 911 immediately. Do not drive yourself to the hospital.

On-device check & printable log

Compare today’s weight and symptoms

Enter your morning weights and tick any symptoms you have today. The check runs on this page only. Nothing is saved or sent.

My scale shows

Today’s morning weight (lb)

Yesterday’s morning weight (lb)

Weight 7 days ago (lb)

Symptoms noticed today (check any that apply): Emergency symptom: chest pain/pressure, severe shortness of breath while resting/sitting, or coughing up pink, foamy spit New or worsening swelling in feet, ankles, legs, or belly (or shoes/clothes feeling tight) Nighttime breathing change: needing more pillows to sleep, or waking up 1 to 2 hours after falling asleep short of breath More winded with normal daily tasks, a new wet/hacking cough, or feeling dizzy when standing

Today’s heart-failure check

Enter today’s morning weight and yesterday’s or last week’s weight above to compare against the 2-to-3 lb/day and 5 lb/week thresholds.

Morning weight rule: Weigh after using the bathroom and before eating breakfast, on the same scale in similar clothing.
Same-day call threshold: Gain of more than 2 to 3 lb (1 to 1.5 kg) in 1 day or 5 lb (2 kg) in 1 week, or new ankle/leg swelling or needing extra pillows at night.

Fluids, salt & medicine safety

Four everyday rules that protect a weak or stiff heart

Avoid NSAID pain relievers (ibuprofen, naproxen): Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cause your kidneys to hold onto sodium and water and can make heart failure worse (MedlinePlus 000112). Ask your clinician what pain reliever is safe for you.
Watch hidden sodium and fluid limits: Too much salt (sodium) makes the body hold fluid, and many prepared, canned and frozen foods carry hidden salt; follow the sodium limit your clinician gives you (MedlinePlus 000112). If fluid retention worsens, your clinician may ask you to limit total fluids to 6 to 9 cups (1.5 to 2 liters) a day (MedlinePlus 000114).
Take medicines with water, not grapefruit juice: Grapefruit juice can change how your body absorbs certain heart medicines (MedlinePlus 000114).
Keep up with blood tests: People taking diuretics (“water pills”) need regular lab tests to check sodium, potassium, and kidney function (MedlinePlus 000112).

Where to go next

Bring your 5 heart numbers to your visitBlood pressure, LDL, A1c, resting pulse, and waist on one printable sheet. Getting winded?Turn “I get winded” into a specific yardstick your clinician can use. Walking speed checkTrack how fast you walk at home as a functional recovery measure.