A major seminar on how to live well with heart failure is coming to Dublin.
The event, hosted by the Irish Heart Foundation, will be taking place on Wednesday, May 3 at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, No.26 York Street, Dublin 2 from 6 to 8pm. The convention will provide valuable advice from health experts on the signs and symptoms of heart failure and how to manage and live well with the condition.
A whopping 90,000 people in Ireland are affected by heart failure which occurs when the heart is prevented from pumping enough blood around the body because the walls of the heart have become too weak or too stiff to work properly. Some of the common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, especially with activity or when lying flat, swollen feet, ankles or abdomen, and weight gain over a short period of time.
Read more: Dublin dad with heart failure goes to bed and wakes up in ICU a month later
You can reduce your risk of heart failure by controlling high blood pressure, eating healthy food, maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, drinking moderately and reducing other risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as smoking.
The upcoming seminar coincides with Heart Failure Awareness week, from May 1 to 7, and will feature expert talks by Prof Emer Joyce, Consultant Heart Function and Transplant Cardiologist at The Mater Hospital; Dr Sinead Mulhern, Principal Clinical Psychologist at The Mater Hospital, and the charity’s Senior Dietitian Orna O’Brien.
Karen MacLaughlin and Pauline O'Shea, who work with the charity, will also share their personal experiences of what it's like to live with heart failure.
Irish Heart Foundation’s Head of Community Supports, Helen Gaynor said: "We recognise the devastating effect heart failure can have on quality of life, mood and health outcomes, the huge cost burden and high rate of hospital admission.
"The Irish Heart Foundation has a range of free supports available to people living with heart failure, including wellbeing support calls, heart failure support packs, online tools to monitor signs and symptoms, self-care and monitoring, and a Nurse Support Line, counselling, and short-term courses in mindfulness and psycho-education."
She added: "We will be there to provide information and to help heart failure patients improve their quality of life. At this seminar, you will learn about the condition, about the help available, how to advocate for yourself, manage heart failure and how to make sure you get the best care.
If you are interested in attending the event, call 01 668 5001 or register on the event page. If you cannot attend, a range of heart failure supports and advice is also available on irishheart.ie or email: heartservices@irishheart.ie.
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