Cardiology

Cardiology Q & A

What is cardiology?

Cardiology is a medical branch dedicated to testing and maintaining the health of your heart and blood vessels, or circulatory system. This system serves a highly important purpose, pumping blood through your vessels to deliver oxygen to all of your tissues and organs. 

Cardiology encompasses testing methods to diagnose cardiological complications and the treatments and procedures that cure them or reduce their effects. Your cardiologist can also give you helpful lifestyle tips to prevent new complications or stop current health issues from worsening. 

Which issues can cardiology address?

You can visit the cardiology team at Chiefland Health Center to address many common cardiovascular illnesses and complications. Some are present from birth, while others are directly related to behaviors and lifestyle factors. In other cases, cardiovascular issues develop because of a genetic predisposition.

Among other issues, the cardiology team at Chiefland Health Center specializes in diagnosing and managing:

• Atherosclerosis
• Arrhythmia
• Atrial fibrillation
• Coronary heart disease
• Congenital heart disease
• Heart attacks
• Heart failure
• High cholesterol
• Hypertension
• Pericarditis
• Peripheral vascular disease
  
  

Your cardiologist discusses your diagnosis with you and might confirm it with diagnostic imaging, and electrocardiogram (EKG), or a stress test. They discuss your results and the implications before working with you to create a fitting, personalized treatment plan. 

Which symptoms come with cardiac complications?

Some cardiology issues come with symptoms, but others don’t. Your primary care physician might refer you to Chiefland Health Center for specialty care if you experience:

• Shortness of breath
• Unusual heart rate or rhythm
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
  
  

If you’re not experiencing symptoms, a few basic tests in a doctor’s office can show indications of a cardiovascular complication. For example, high blood pressure rarely causes symptoms, but physicians usually take a reading with every visit. If your reading is particularly high, they might refer you to a cardiologist. 

Which treatments does cardiology involve?

Chiefland Health Center offers a wide range of cardiology services and treatments, giving you a number of options when it comes to your own care. They primarily recommend nonoperative treatments, but surgery can be necessary in some cases where the first approaches aren’t effective. 

Some common cardiology treatments, diagnostic services, and surgeries are:

• EKGs
• Stress tests
• Pacemakers
• Echocardiogram
• Cardiac catheterization
• Cardiac ablation
• Defibrillation
• Stent implantation
• Thrombolytic therapy
• Medications
  
  

Often, lifestyle changes can make enough of a difference to reduce or prevent complications from a cardiovascular issue. The Chiefland Health Center team can help you examine your diet or reintroduce exercise into your routine to improve your cardiovascular health. 

Schedule your appointment for expert cardiology care by calling either Chiefland Health Center location or requesting an appointment online today.