Heartburn or Heart Attack

One of the most common reasons for a person to visit the emergency room is for chest pains. But is that chest pain a heart attack, or just a really bad case of heartburn? Knowing the symptoms can help you determine when you’ve got an emergency on your hands. Heartburn and heart attacks frequently occur in similar types of people — especially overweight people and older people. Believe it or not, the pain of a heart attack and the pain of a severe case of heartburn can be difficult for even the experts to distinguish. A person with severe chest … Continue reading →

The Facts About Cholesterol

What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that your body uses for various functions. Yes, cholesterol is normal. Your body produces as much as it needs. However, your diet can lead there to be too much cholesterol in your body. The waxy substance gets deposited in your arteries, leading to heart disease and other problems. If your cholesterol level is above 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), that’s too high. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the American Heart Association, more than one hundred and six million Americans have high cholesterol. More than thirty seven million … Continue reading →

Types of Dangerous Arrhythmias

Types of Dangerous Arrhythmias Arrhythmia is a term used to describe irregular heart beats. Arrhythmia is not synonymous for a fast or irregular heart rate: you could suffer from arrhythmia without having an irregular beat, skipping beats or even if you naturally have a slow (or fast) heart rate. There are two types of harmless arrhythmia, and below you will find the remaining types that do require medical treatment. Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a very common type of arrhythmia. It involves an irregular heart rhythm that causes the atria, the upper chambers of the heart to contract in an abnormal … Continue reading →

2 Types of Harmless Arrhythmia

Arrhythmias are irregular heart beats. There are several types of arrhythmias, and not all of them are dangerous or harmful. In this article two harmless types of arrhythmia are discussed that (generally) do not require any treatment. Arrhythmia is not synonymous for a fast or irregular heart rate: you could suffer from arrhythmia without having an irregular beat, skipping beats or even if you naturally have a slow (or fast) heart rate. In the United States alone more than 850,000 people are hospitalized for an arrhythmia each year, recognize the symptoms and see your doctor if you suspect an arrhythmia. … Continue reading →

Mom’s Heart Transplant Journey: Her Donor

Mom often struggled with knowing she had a heart of a young man, a 26 year old man. She often became angry that he was dead and she was alive. After all, she was a 58 year old grandmother of six, she had lived a pretty darn good life. It seemed her donor didn’t get a chance to really live. It was during her recovery that Mom decided she wanted to contact the donor’s family. Anyone in her family could also write a letter to the donor family. Us writing letters didn’t necessarily mean that we would hear back from … Continue reading →

Mom’s Journey to a Heart Transplant: Part Three

I was 25, in my second year of teaching and had recently broken up with a psychotic boyfriend. My mom had been nothing but stressed about this relationship I was in and she was so happy to see that I had finally ended it. I was about to embark on a spring break trip to Florida with my girlfriends and had actually just come home from a night out to dinner. I walked into the home I shared with my two roommates to see the answering machine blinking. I was just getting ready to push the buttons, because I had … Continue reading →

My Mom’s Heart Transplant Journey: Part Two

Mom’s heart transplant journey left off with her being told of the news that she needed open-heart surgery. I was in fifth grade, I guess that would make me around ten years old. My mom was 34. Not only was she 34, she was also the mom to two children: myself, and my older brother, who was 12 at the time. Faced with having major surgery at such a young age, and faced with the real possibility that something awful could happen, she prepared my brother and I as much as possible. I do remember asking her, “Mommy, could you … Continue reading →

My Mom’s Journey to a Heart Transplant: Part 1

My mom’s journey to becoming a heart transplant patient began when she was pregnant with me, 36 years ago. Her doctor mentioned to her that he heard a pronounced heart murmur, to which my mom replied, “You know that I have always had that, it’s nothing!” Of course the doctor thought it sounded like it was definitely more than something, but because she was pregnant, he let it go. After all, it was 1970. My mom’s dad, my beloved grandpa, had a congenital heart condition, which could suddenly kill him. He lost several brothers and sisters to this condition, he … Continue reading →

Top Cholesterol Fighting Foods: Part 4

Today we continue to discover some more no-guilt foods we can enjoy to lower our bad cholesterol, and increase the good HDL Cholesterol. This prevents heart attacks and stroke, and ensures good health. Chocolate Health Choosing dark or bittersweet chocolate can help you fight cholesterol! Dark chocolate has antioxidants (three times as much as milk chocolate!) and less sugar. So you can eat more chocolate for the same amount of calories compared to milk chocolate. Flavonoids are antioxidants found in chocolate, and also tea (see below). This antioxidant helps to prevent cholesterol from sticking to your arterial walls, keeping them … Continue reading →

Top Cholesterol Fighting Foods: Part 3

Today we continue to discover some more no-guilt foods we can enjoy to lower our bad cholesterol, and increase the good HDL Cholesterol. This prevents heart attacks and stroke, and ensures good health. Spinach Similar to garlic, the lutein found in spinach prevents cholesterol from attaching to your artery walls. In turn this prevents plaque formation which is the cause of arterial blockage and as a result heart attack and stroke. Just ½ cup of lutein rich foods every day can be enough to receive the benefits and help protect you against arterial plaque buildup. Baby spinach leaves can also … Continue reading →