Author: Melanie Medina
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What Is Heart Failure?
Heart failure (also known as chronic or congestive heart failure) is a condition in which your heart isn’t pumping all the blood your body needs. Heart failure does not mean your heart has stopped functioning or will stop at any moment. It means your heart isn’t working as it should. While heart failure is not…
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Disposal of Unused Medicine: What You Should Know
By Kenny Kline Medicines are helpful in treating a variety of ailments and diseases, but they must be used with caution. To avoid accidental ingestion, unused portions of these drugs must be properly disposed of. Consumers may use a number of services to dispose of unused or expired prescription medications and even minimize the cause…
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Lessons Learned While Competing Collegiately with a Heart Condition
By Tori Geiger I am so blessed that I was able to compete as a college athlete while having a congenital heart defect. Even though it was a blessing, competing at a higher level did come with its challenges. My athletic career included playing volleyball my freshman year of college and competing in track as…
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Why Telehealth is an Effective Way to Manage CVD
By Norah Tucker The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a decline in hospitalization rates among cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients — but for the wrong reasons. Fear of COVID-19 infection has made patients reluctant to seek medical attention when needed. This is a cause for concern, as CVD is the leading cause of death for men…
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Sometimes Strength Comes In Knowing You Are Not Alone
By Lauren Backe “Where did the idea for the heart warrior photoshoot come from?” is a question I’ve gotten asked a lot recently. And that’s a long answer, partially because I’m not the most concise person. And it’s partially because there were lots of little things that made it all come together, including: 1)…
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The Best Heart-Healthy Foods to Start Eating Now
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and can be prevented by choosing to eat nutritious foods that help keep your arteries clear. You may be asking what causes congestive heart failure? Some common causes are alcohol abuse, high blood pressure and unhealthy eating habits. Research has found that eating…
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Getting Back on the Bike: A TAVR Procedure Story
By Jack Huber Early in 2015, my doctor detected a heart murmur. After I had an MRI and an echocardiogram done, he recommended that I see a cardiologist. The cardiologist diagnosed me as having moderate aortic stenosis. My situation was complicated by having a bicuspid aortic valve — instead of the normal three leaflets,…
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Gateway into Living with CHD
By Meghana Dwarakinath I have always assumed that my life would figure itself out — that all the problems would fade out of existence merely by me being ignorant of the events happening. I had relatives who suffered from various medical issues, primarily cardiac, but as a mere teenager, I never really thought that I…
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A Silent Blessing
By Amanda Primus My parents welcomed me into their lives in the spring of 1986. At my six-month well-child check, I was diagnosed with Aortic Stenosis Bicuspid murmur, which means oxygenated blood would flow back into my heart. My family did not treat me any different. I did everything my brother did; we ran, climbed…
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Engaging and Educational Activities for Kids at Home
This article is a great example of the many informative resources you can find on the Mended Hearts website. Whether it’s summer break, a rainy weekend, or a global pandemic, kids are bound to get bored and restless when they’re stuck inside for too long. Keeping kids active and engaged at home is a common…