Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women worldwide. According to the American Heart Association, about 2,150 Americans die each day from heart disease or stroke. This equates to one person dying every 40 seconds. Your cardiologist can determine your risk of developing heart disease or a heart attack through EKGs and stress tests.
What Kind of Tests are Performed to Check for Heart Disease?
An EKG, also known as an electrocardiogram, measures your heart’s activity. EKGs can be administered while you are lying on a table to take a ‘snapshot’ of your current heart rate, or may be administered as part of a stress test.
Your cardiologist may recommend a stress test if you have heart disease or are at an increased risk of developing heart disease. Stress tests allow cardiologists to pinpoint whether you are experiencing symptoms of heart disease, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or an irregular heartbeat. They are often conducted while you exercise, but can also be performed a number of other ways, including by administering medicine to make your heart react as if you were exercising.
In some cases, a nuclear stress test is recommended. This is a great diagnostic tool for checking blood flow to the heart. During this test, a small amount of radioactive tracer is administered into the vein through an IV. Then, a camera is used to detect the tracer and produce images of the heart. This test is allows us to determine whether you are getting adequate blood flow to the heart while active.
How Do These Tests Work?
Before the test begins, we will place electrodes on your chest, arms and legs. These electrodes are connected to a machine that will monitor and record your heart activity.
During typical exercise stress tests, you may either use a treadmill or a stationary bike. The EKG will monitor you from baseline, while you are active, and after you finish exercising. The test has different phases, each of which lasts about three minutes. After each phase is complete, the speed or resistance will be increased.
Both your heart rate and blood pressure will be monitored throughout the exercise. The test ends either once you reach your maximum heart rate, when there are symptoms of stress on the heart or lungs, or when we find that there is decreased blood flow to the heart muscles. We will also stop the test if you experience an irregular heartbeat or if your blood pressure drops. The entire test will take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.
Your cardiologist will look at the patterns of electrical activity in the heart and contact you within a few days with the results. In some cases, we may even be able to tell you the results immediately following the test.
If you are at risk of heart disease or are experiencing fatigue, shortness of breath, or chest pain, call us today.
Heart rhythm conditions are often a sign of an underlying issue, and may even pose problems in themselves. So what are some of the most common heart rhythm conditions?
Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs when the atria, or upper chambers of the heart, begin to beat out of sync with the ventricles, or lower chambers of the heart. Characterized by a rapid rhythm, AF reduces the heart’s effectiveness at pumping blood. As a result, blood clots can form in the heart chambers, potentially reaching the brain and causing a stroke or heart failure.
AF is typically due to an existing heart condition. Other causes include high blood pressure, heart attack and coronary artery disease. Dizziness, feeling out of breath, tiredness, a feeling that the heart is racing or fluttering, uneven heartbeat, and chest pain are all common symptoms.
Atrial fibrillation is common in older adults and may not present obvious symptoms. Seeing a doctor at the first onset of AF symptoms is important to avoid serious complications. The typical goals of treatment are restoring rhythm to as close to normal as possible and preventing the formation of blood clots.
Arrhythmia
Arrhythmia is a problem with the rhythm of the heartbeat-beating too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. Many arrhythmias are harmless, but some can be life-threatening, especially since a lack of blood flow to the body can damage the brain, heart and other organs.
Noticeable symptoms of arrhythmia include fainting, dizziness, heart palpitations, weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain. Arrhythmia can be caused by heart disease, stress, smoking, heavy alcohol use and certain medications.
Treatment for arrhythmias depends on the type and severity of irregular heart rhythm. In most cases, people with arrhythmias can live normal, healthy lives, but never take the risk of a ‘wait-and-see’ approach.
Remember, anything other than your usual, steady heartbeat could be a sign of a dangerous heart condition. Always discuss irregular heartbeat symptoms with your cardiologist.
If there is a concern that you have a slow, fast or irregular heartbeat, your cardiologist may recommend wearing a Holter monitor. This portable device is worn continuously for about 24 to 48 hours or longer, depending on the type of monitoring needed. The device is small and attaches to your chest with electrodes to record the electrical activity of your heart throughout the day.
Aside from checking the regularity of your heartbeat, your cardiologist may recommend wearing a Holter monitor to see if your medicines are managing your health problems. The results will help your cardiologist decide whether you need additional testing and medication, or if you require a pacemaker to repair your irregular heart rhythm. And if you have a pacemaker, Holter monitoring can help us determine whether it is working properly.
How Do Holter Monitors Work?
When you get an electrocardiogram (EKG) from your cardiologist, it allows us to see your heart’s activity at that specific moment. Unfortunately for those with abnormal heart rhythms, their symptoms often come and go, and may not be caught by an EKG. That’s why your cardiologist may recommend wearing a Holter monitor while you go about your normal daily activities.
When you come in for your monitor, we will talk to you about how to record your symptoms while you wear it. Then we will attach the electrodes to your chest. Once the electrodes have been placed, we will help you put the monitor on and talk to you about how to care for it.
The monitor can easily fit into a pocket or hang around your shoulder like a purse. While you can go about your normal day-to-day activities wearing the monitor, don’t bathe or shower while wearing it, and stay away from metal detectors and X-rays.
Once the test period is over, you will return the monitor to us and we will create a report based on your results. You’ll come back for your results in a week or two.
Questions about Holter monitors? Coping with an irregular heartbeat? Then it’s time you called our cardiology office today!
Whether you’re getting ready for your first visit or your tenth, it’s always important you know what you should do to prepare for your next trip to the cardiologist. After all, you want to get the most from your appointment, and that means preparing ahead of time.
Here are some things to consider before your next visit to our office:
Your Current Medications
Make a full list of all your current medications, including their name, dosage and frequency. This is important information for your cardiologist, particularly when creating a treatment plan. You should also make a list of any allergies you may have. Don’t just assume you’ll remember it off the top of your head. Having this information written down prior to your appointment will make the process a lot easier.
Your Doctors
It’s never a bad idea to have a list of your healthcare providers available at your visit. It’s important to include your doctor’s names, contact information, and what conditions you are seeing them for. We may need to contact your doctors to discuss your current conditions, medications and treatments. This is done to provide you with a more thorough treatment plan.
Your Medical History
This is one of the most obvious ones, but it’s necessary that we know about any preexisting health problems. This includes any surgeries (and their dates) and any major procedures or tests within the last year. Knowing your health history, we can help make a proper diagnosis and also determine the best course of action for treating your condition.
Family History
Just as your medical history is important, so is your family’s health history. From siblings and parents to uncles and children, we particularly want to know if there is a family history of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes. Knowing the health issues and illnesses of family members can help us monitor your health and prescribe preventive measures.
Any Questions You May Have
Before your appointment, you may realize you have some questions for your cardiologist. It’s a good idea to jot them down so you don’t forget. This appointment is about your health, and we will take time out to address your questions and concerns to make sure that you have a productive and valuable visit.
If you need to schedule your next cardiologist appointment, call our office today!
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a condition that can lead to serious health problems, such as coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other health problems.
Most people with high blood pressure are unaware, since the symptoms can stay below notice for years at a time. For this reason, it’s important to visit your doctor regularly for a general medical check-up.
When blood pressure reaches life-threatening levels, the following symptoms may be noticeable:
Headaches
Tiredness
Confusion
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Pounding in the head or chest
Sharp chest pains
Elevated blood pressure may be inherited or related to other factors including:
Being overweight
Smoking
Diet high in saturated fat and/or sodium
Age
Excessive drinking
Diabetes
Physical inactivity
Being male
High-stress levels
You can manage your hypertension and lower your risk of stroke with lifestyle changes and medications prescribed by your cardiologist. So don’t hesitate! Get checked for hypertension today.
