Can plaque buildup in arteries eventually lead to a heart attack? As the world scrambles trying to get ahead of and ultimately defeat the COVID pandemic, other health issues have not gone away. Some of the most deadly are made even more serious because we don’t always have warning signs. High blood pressure is known […]
Over time, high blood pressure can negatively impact your health. If untreated, high blood pressure damages your arteries and increases your risk of heart disease. While a doctor may prescribe many medications to treat high blood pressure, you can also make essential lifestyle changes to improve your health and prevent more serious conditions from developing. […]
Heart disease is very common in the U.S. If you are experiencing any symptoms or irregularities concerning your heart, it’s important to get in touch with a medical provider right away. The right doctor can determine whether you have cardiovascular disease or other underlying medical issues. Addressing health concerns (particularly those having to do with […]
Can a slower than normal heart rate be a sign of damage from a heart attack? Lowering your heart rate is a good thing. That’s one of the goals of deep breathing exercises, meditation, and “getting back to nature”, right? We are constantly being told that our stress levels are too high and that we […]
Is leg swelling just something that comes and goes or should I have it checked by my doctor? Swelling in the legs, as well as the feet and ankles, is common. Is it something to worry about? That depends upon what is causing it. The swelling could be from something as simple as spending an […]
What is a heart monitor and why would my doctor suggest heart monitoring? Heart monitoring is exactly what it sounds like: the use of a device to record the heart’s electrical activity and translate that activity into data that can be read and analyzed by your doctor. Monitoring is different from going through one or […]
What are the possible reasons for my doctor ordering an echocardiogram? An echocardiogram is a noninvasive procedure that uses ultrasound (sound waves) to examine the heart’s structural integrity and functioning. A transducer, which is a hand-held wand, is held to the chest in certain locations and angles and emits sound waves. These sound waves painlessly […]
Are heart palpitations always a sign of something serious? Every wannabe romance writer has written at least one, if not dozens, of scenes involving hearts that skip a beat, flutter or feel like they want to leap out of some infatuated character’s chest. This can be very effective at drawing in the audience and conveying […]
How do I know if I am at risk for developing heart disease? The number one cause of death in the U.S. is cardiovascular disease, currently accounting for more than 840,000 deaths per year. Cardiovascular disease and heart disease are often used interchangeably but they are not the same thing. Heart disease is a form […]
Are there things that can be done to lower the chances of having a heart attack? Someone in the U.S. has a heart attack every 40 seconds… Myocardial infarctions, more commonly known as heart attacks, are the result of a loss or decrease of blood flow to the heart. Like any other muscle, if the […]
