Common questions & answers
Why should you visit a cardiologist?
Heart diseases are life-threatening conditions and known to be the silent killer because sometimes they might appear with certain symptoms and warning signs and sometimes do not. Thus, it becomes necessary to keep noticing the certain changes in the body. People with excess weight, high sugar level, high blood pressure level, high cholesterol level are more vulnerable to experience heart diseases. You are recommended to visit the best cardiologist to know your risk of getting heart diseases and ways to avoid them.
When should you visit a cardiologist?
Heart diseases are serious health conditions and can be deadly, if not diagnosed and treated on right time. Every second count when it comes to cardiac arrest, heart attack or heart failure. Due to lack of knowledge patient ends up visiting physician and waste their golden hours. If proper diagnosis and treatment are given in critical hours, the chances of survival increase. Thus it is highly recommended to people to visit heart specialist (cardiologist) on experiencing symptoms such as severe chest pain, shortness of breath, anxiety, dizziness, rapid breathing, etc.
What causes heart disease?
Heart problems can be congenital (present at birth) or can come with the passage of the age. Initially, it was seen that people over 60 or 70 mostly got affected with heart diseases. But now, the scenario has changed. Younger people and adult are at high risk of getting heart problems owing to a list of causes. Some of the top causes include- an unhealthy diet, being overweight, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, depression, health condition such as diabetes, etc.
What to do on experiencing heart attack?
Though the chances of survival during a heart attack are quite low, but the right treatment at right time can reverse the situation. It is also recommended to patients to keep patience, as excess stress and anxiety may aggravate the condition. A cardiologist recommends taking 300/325mg of aspirin tablet immediately if you suspect a heart attack.
What are the signs and symptoms of heart diseases in people?
The signs and symptoms may vary from people to people. Some of the common symptoms include chest pain, rapid breathing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, swelling in the feet, ankles, and hands, excessive fatigue, fainting after exertion, numbness and weakness in arms and legs, pain in neck etc.
What kind of tests you may undergo for the diagnosis of heart diseases?
Depending on the symptoms and the severity of the patient’s condition, a cardiologist may recommend one or more of these tests to detect the root cause of the problem. Some of these tests include chest X-ray, blood tests, electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram (Echo), coronary angiogram, cardiac computed tomography (Cardiac CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), tilt test, blood pressure etc.
What causes a heart attack?
A heart attack is a condition when one or more arteries of the heart get blocked from the buildup of fatty materials usually cholesterol. The clogged arteries block the flow of oxygen-rich-blood to the heart and cause a heart attack. There are various factors that highly contribute to the plaque formation in the arteries. Excessive tobacco consumption, smoking, alcohol consumption, and bad cholesterol consumption top the list. Though, the family history, obesity, inactive lifestyle, stress also contribute the same.
What causes sudden cardiac arrest?
Sudden cardiac arrest is associated with abnormal heart rhythm. It occurs without prior warning and disrupts the electrical activity of the heart which leads to the irregular and abnormal heartbeat. In cardiac arrest, the heart stops pumping blood to the brain, and other organs of the body. Within a second a person loses consciousness and pulse. It requires immediate medical treatment to save the patient. Family history, being male, and age above 45 are some factors that lead to cardiac arrest.