How Doctors Diagnose Heart Disease

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How Doctors Diagnose Heart Disease

One of the leading causes of death in the United States is heart disease. If you smoke or have high blood pressure, you could be at risk for this disease. Fortunately, doctors have a number of techniques in their arsenal to detect heart disease, including the following.

You May Have an Ultrasound Test Done

Your doctor may use ultrasound equipment to determine if you have heart disease. This equipment is effective in discovering abnormalities.

Most medical clinics have a wide range of equipment at their disposal, whether it’s an ultrasound refurbishment with Mindray or other testing equipment. All are highly effective in diagnosing disease.

Doctors Will Ask About Your Symptoms

There are a number of symptoms associated with heart disease, including shortness of breath and chest pain. Doctors will ask about these as well as whether you’ve had fainting spells and either a fast or slow heartbeat. Swelling in your feet or legs or even in your abdomen could also be a sign of heart disease. (Xanax)

You May Need To Take a Stress Test

When you take a stress test, technical staff monitor you while you either walk or run on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike. They monitor how your body reacts to stressful events and how your heart rate increases.

You May Have To Take an Electrocardiogram Test

An EKG test monitors your heart’s electrical activity. Your doctor will examine the test results to determine whether you have heart damage or an irregular heartbeat.

You May Need More Invasive Tests

Your doctor may also want to take a more in-depth look at your heart. To do this, your doctor may order some of these more invasive procedures.

1. Coronary Angiography

Coronary angiography can determine whether you have a blockage in one of your arteries. Doctors use a catheter to inject dye into your arteries. This dye helps the doctor see how the blood runs through your heart and whether you have a blockage.

2. Cardiac Catheterization

With cardiac catheterization, doctors again guide a catheter through your blood vessel to treat as well as diagnose problems with your heart. Doctors use this method to deliver treatments or even remove a piece of tissue from your heart. They can break up clots or open up a narrow artery.

3. Electrophysiology Study

An electrophysiology study makes a record of your heart’s electrical activity. Although this study is invasive, it’s an excellent way to determine the cause of an irregular heartbeat and what the best treatment could be. A doctor uses this while testing different medicines. Using a catheter, the doctor increases your heart rate using electricity. Then the doctor gives you different medicines to determine which one best controls your heart’s irregular beat. Or the doctor may scar some of your heart tissue to help your heart’s rhythm become more regular.

While heart disease can lead to death if undetected, there is a wide range of ways doctors can treat a malfunctioning heart. That way, you can live a long and normal life.

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