Download Fluids and Sodium info sheet

Sodium & Fluids in
Pulmonary Hypertension
Tips for maintaining a low-sodium diet
Don’t add salt to your
foods. This simple rule can
help you reduce your
sodium intake by as much
as 30%. Just one teaspoon
of salt contains about
2300mg of sodium.
Read labels. Stay away
from foods that contain
more than 250mg of
sodium per serving or have
more than 8% of the
recommended daily intake
listed on the package. Pay
attention to the serving size
when you look! Breads and
other baked goods are
often high in sodium; it pays
to spend the time looking
for the lowest-sodium
option in the bread aisle.
Eat at home as much as
possible. It’s difficult to
control the sodium content
of foods prepared by
others, whether you’re
eating at a restaurant, or at
somebody else’s home. Try
to make a habit of carrying
low-sodium snacks with you
so you won’t be tempted
to grab something on the
go that’s likely to be high in
sodium.
Avoid processed foods.
Fresh produce, meat, and
freshwater fish are typically
salt-free or extremely low in
sodium. Processed and
restaurant foods, like soups
and frozen dinners, are
usually quite high in sodium.
If you don’t have access to
fresh vegetables, then
sodium-free or low-sodium
canned or frozen
vegetables are best.
Check the sodium content
of your seasonings. Many
products, such as boullion,
bacon bits, grated
parmesan or romano
cheese, condiments, and
assorted ‘seasonings’ are
mostly salt, so avoid those
whenever possible.
Visit web sites for sodium
content. Many restaurants
have websites with
nutritional information,
including sodium content.
A good general website
that lists nutritional data for
fresh foods, processed
foods, and many fast food
restaurants is
www.nutritiondata.com.
Be cautious of ‘softened’
water. Water softeners
sometimes add a
substantial amount of
sodium. Avoid drinking such
water; instead use bottled
water or a reverse osmosis
filter.
Watch what you drink.
Sodium hides in drinks too!
For example, a small Burger
King chocolate shake
contains almost 300mg of
sodium. Sports drinks are
especially high in sodium
and should be avoided.
Sweets can be salty too.
Just because it doesn’t
taste salty doesn’t mean a
food is low in sodium.
Cakes, cookies and other
baked goods are often
quite high in sodium.
Use ‘cheats’ when you
have to. If you find yourself
in a situation where eating
high-sodium foods is
inevitable, try using
‘cheats’ to minimize the
problem. For example, you
can brush off excess salt
from ‘salt on top’ crackers
or pretzels; ask for
seasonings or dressings on
the side; or dilute highsodium foods like soups.
What about fluid intake?
Restricting fluids can help
avoid or decrease
swelling and fluid
retention. Patients are
often placed on a fluid
restriction ranging from 1.2
– 2 litres per day, but each
patient is different, so
check with your PH
specialist. Keep these tips
in mind:
Measure the amount of
fluid you are drinking
every day, at least for the
first few weeks. Two litres
of fluid equals just over
8 cups. Remember to
count the fluid in your
food too – soups, ice
cream, popsicles, and
many fruits and
vegetables contain a lot
of fluid and need to be
included in your count.
Space out your liquids
throughout the day. You
might find that you get
very thirsty if you drink up
your allowable fluids early
on in the day. Drinking
small amounts of fluids
throughout the day can
help you avoid getting
too thirsty.
Weight gain is often one of
the first signs that you are
retaining fluid. Weigh
yourself daily. If you gain
2-3 pounds in a day, or 5
pounds in a week, call
your healthcare provider.
Try keeping a food journal
including how much fluid
and sodium you have
consumed each day.
Writing it down can help
you stay on track. If you
use a mobile device, look
for an app to help you
track your eating and
drinking habits.
Why is sodium
important for people
living with PH?

Some patients with PH will
suffer from what we call
‘right heart failure’. This
happens when the
narrowing of the arteries in
your lungs makes it
difficult for your heart to
pump blood through them,
and the right side of your
heart gets fatigued.
If this is the case for you,
then you may have heard
your doctor or nurse
mention following a lowsodium diet, which
typically means less than
1,500-1,800mg of sodium
per day.
The sodium in foods
causes extra fluid to build
up in your body: you can
see this when your ankles,
feet or abdomen start to
swell. The extra fluid
makes your heart work
harder. A low-sodium diet
can help you feel better
and allow your
medications to work better
and may even keep you
out of the hospital.