Are you experiencing chest pain lately? Don’t ignore it! It may be a warning sign! Sadly, heart diseases know no age – it may happen to anyone irrespective of age and gender.

If you or a loved one is having heart problems, waste no time and seek your nearest emergency cardiac services. Let’s walk you through a brief about heart disease, its symptoms, and treatment procedures.

What are Heart Diseases?

Heart diseases can refer to a range of conditions affecting heart health, including –

  • Coronary artery disease and other blood vessel diseases
  • Blood clots
  • Structural problems in the heart
  • Heart rhythm issues (arrhythmias)
  • Congenital heart defects (when a person is born with heart defects)
  • Heart muscle disease
  • Heart valve disease
  • Difficulties in heart relaxation and squeezing
  • Heart infections

The good news? Many of these heart diseases can be prevented or treated, provided you follow a healthy lifestyle.

The Red Flags: When to See a Doctor?

Consult a cardiac doctor whenever you or someone you love experiences these heart disease symptoms.

  • Chest pain, chest pressure, chest tightness, or discomfort in the chest (a condition known as angina)
  • Pain in the neck, throat, jaw, back, or upper abdomen
  • Shortness of breath
  • Feel numbness, pain, coldness, or weakness in your arms or legs. It happens when the blood vessels are narrowed in those body parts.
  • Fatigue
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Fever
  • Fainting, lightheadedness, or dizziness
  • Swelling in legs, feet, and ankles

If you think you might be having a cardiac arrest, call 911 or seek emergency medical help. Heart diseases are much easier to treat if they are detected early.

Therefore, do a quick Google search for a cardiac doctor near me and discuss any heart-related issues you think you may be having. You should also see the doctor if –

  • You have a family history of heart diseases, diabetes, and hypertension
  • You are suffering from obesity
  • You follow a poor diet
  • You don’t live a healthy lifestyle
  • You have a history of smoking
  • You are older

Types of Diagnostic Tests for Heart Diseases

Since there are various heart diseases, different diagnosing techniques are used to detect them. Some of the noninvasive diagnostic tests for heart diseases include –

  • Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Echocardiogram
  • Holter monitoring
  • Stress test
  • Carotid ultrasound
  • Tilt table test
  • Chest X-ray
  • Heart MRI
  • CT scan

Among the invasive tests for diagnosing heart diseases include –

  • Cardiac catheterization and coronary angiography
  • Electrophysiology study

At times, non-invasive diagnostic tests are not enough for the cardiovascular doctor to detect where the problem lies. In that case, they prefer going for the invasive ones, which involve the use of tools and equipment that are entered into the body physically, including tubes, needles, or scopes.

Types of Heart Problems that can be Diagnosed at the Emergency Department

The common types of heart diseases that can be diagnosed at the emergency room include –

  • Irregular heartbeat, changes in heart rhythm, or heart damage: An ECG (electrocardiogram) can detect any abnormal changes in the heart rhythm or heartbeat by monitoring the electrical activities of your heart. It can also help the doctor identify any possible chances of heart damage. You can also perform a quick evaluation of your heart rhythm by checking your pulse rate. A normal resting heart of an adult should record a pulse rate between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Seek emergency cardiac arrhythmia services if you feel your pulse rate is beyond the normal range.
  • Disease in the heart valves and heart muscles: An echocardiogram test is used to examine the function and structure of your heart through an ultrasound machine. The machine is designed to create images of your heart by using sound waves. An echocardiogram can detect any disease in the heart muscles or the heart valves by monitoring their functioning.
  • Plaque buildup in arteries and risks of stroke: The carotid duplex scan is designed to create images of your carotid arteries present on either side of the neck. The carotid ultrasound test uses sound waves to check using any plaque buildup in the arteries. This test also allows the doctor to detect whether you have any stroke risks.
  • Coronary artery disease: Your doctor may use a heart MRI to diagnose coronary artery disease or detect any heart muscle diseases. In an MRI, cardiac monitoring services use radio waves and large magnets to create pictures of your beating heart and blood vessels. The doctor may also perform X-ray scans and cardiac catheterization to identify coronary artery disease by checking any presence of blocked or narrowed arteries.

Now You Know!

It’s not a good idea to delay the treatment of heart diseases as it may be life-taking. Contact your nearest cardiac services to get routine checkups or when you experience heart problems.