ACHA Q&As provide understandable information in question and answer formats.
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In This Section
Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Dental Issues: What’s Up with Preventive Antibiotics?
ACHD and Dental Issues
What is endocarditis? Endocarditis (also called subacute bacterial endocarditis, or SBE) is an infection of the inner lining of the heart. It can destroy heart tissue and spread...
Advance Care Planning and Advance Directives
Advance Care Planning and Advance Directives
When it comes to end-of-life decisions, planning and communication can make a big difference. The place for these difficult conversations should not be in the Intensive Care Unit...
Birth Control for Women with Congenital Heart Disease
Birth Control
Of the predicted nearly 2 million adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) in the United States, more than half are women, and as one of them, you need to be able to plan if...
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in 2023
COVID-19 and ACHD
What It Means for Adults with Congenital Heart Disease
Exercise and Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Exercise and Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Is it safe for people with congenital heart disease (CHD) to exercise? Many adults with CHD were told as children to not exercise. It used to be thought that exercise was...
The Heart and Its Electrical System
The Heart's Electrical System
The heart’s main job is to pump blood. The upper chambers (atria) take in blood from your lungs and body, and they pass that blood on to the lower chambers (ventricles) through...
Hepatitis C in Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Hepatitis C in Adult Congenital Heart Disease
What is Hepatitis C? Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation or swelling. The virus can cause an acute or a chronic infection. Symptoms often do not...
Neurocognitive Issues in Congenital Heart Disease
Neurocognitive Issues in Congenital Heart Disease
Neurocognitive is a word that explains how our nervous system affects our behavior. Neuro refers to the central nervous system. Cognitive refers to how our brain acquires...
Pregnancy in Women with Congenital Heart Disease
Pregnancy and CHD
Most women with congenital heart disease (CHD) can have a successful pregnancy. Doing so requires careful planning and management. Although pregnancy carries some risk for women...
Preparing For College When You Have Congenital Heart Disease
Preparing For College When You Have Congenital Heart Disease
Going to college is an exciting time filled with new friends and experiences. When you have congenital heart disease (CHD), it can be overwhelming or tempting to put your care on...
Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary Hypertension
If you have pulmonary hypertension (PH), it means that the blood pressure in your lungs is higher than normal. Up to 10% of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) could have...
Quality of Life in Congenital Heart Disease
Quality of Life
Does having congenital heart disease (CHD) doom you to a miserable life? There has been a lot of interest in what kind of quality of life (QOL) people with chronic illnesses...
Telemedicine: What Adults with Congenital Heart Disease Need to Know
Telemedicine: What Adults with Congenital Heart Disease Need to Know
Telemedicine is an innovative way for you to continue to have routine visits with all of your healthcare providers, including your adult congenital heart disease (ACHD)...
Traveling with Congenital Heart Disease
Traveling with CHD
Travel is part of our life—but it can be stressful. The key to having a successful trip, whether by car, train, bus, airplane or boat, is to plan ahead and be prepared. This...