SHREVEPORT, La. - Thanksgiving is a time for family, food, and tradition, but doctors say the holiday season is also one of the most dangerous times of year for people living with heart failure.

Emergency room visits spike during the holidays for patients with heart failure. One big holiday meal can trigger a serious heart failure exacerbation. Patients may feel fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling, or trouble lying down flat.

"Heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped pumping. It means the heart is maybe weak or stiff and unable to pump the blood out, which is required for the body to function fine," said Dr. Syed Siddiqullah , who goes by Dr. Sid, a heart failure specialist with Ochsner LSU Health .

These patients are more prone to fluid overload. The classic Thanksgiv

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