BED REST & HEART HEALTH
Bed rest may be required in cases of severe congestive heart failure for several reasons: To reduce congestion in the lungs, the patient's upper body should be elevated; for most patients, resting in an armchair is better than lying in bed. Relaxing and contracting leg muscles while at best rest is important to prevent clots (Alternating Pressure Pump devices or APP’s applied to the legs may be useful in this regard). Progressively more activity is often recommended as the patient improves.
