5 Reasons a Healthy Person May Need to See a Cardiologist
Hello #HeadStrongHeartSmart crew! I am Dr. Mike, your favorite board certified cardiologist, here to help you improve your health and add meaningful years to your life.
When people learn that I am a cardiologist, it is often followed by statements such as: “I hope I never have to see you as a patient” or “I don’t want to ever have open heart surgery”. If you are one of those people that has fears about seeing a cardiologist, I have good news; we are NOT surgeons! That’s right, as a cardiologist, I am simply a medical doctor that has special skills in diagnosing and treating heart related problems. I spent much of my time helping people prevent heart problems.
Today I’m going to tell you about 5 common reasons that generally healthy people come to see me.
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High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is when the blood pressure is above 140/90. If it is identified early, there are changes in diet and exercise that can help improve blood pressure. There are other times that medications need to be used. Most primary care doctors are comfortable managing blood pressure, but there are some cases where the first line treatments may not be working as planned. This is when a cardiologist can help by using customized regimens of medications to treat the blood pressure without excessive side effects.
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High Cholesterol
High cholesterol is a common problem that can be treated by a cardiologist. While there are simple cases managed by primary care physicians, the help of cardiologist may be needed when there are very high levels or more complicated patterns of cholesterol abnormalities. When multiple medications are needed, a cardiologist may be the best option to create a customized treatment plan.
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Irregular Heart Beat
Sometimes fairly healthy people may have occasional irregularities in the heart beat. This may be felt as a skipping sensation in the chest, or even a racing heart. As a cardiologist, I can ensure that a dangerous heart rhythm is not causing the symptoms and develop a treatment plan to keep you safe.
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Prevention of Heart Disease
A frequent reason to see the cardiologist is when a healthy person finds that there are other people in the family with heart disease. Because a heart attack is the end result of a process that takes many years to develop, a cardiologist can help identify early disease and begin preventative treatment so there is no opportunity to develop the more advanced disease that can lead to a heart attack.
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Preparation for Elective Surgery
Before surgery, there is usually a “clearance” process that is requested by the surgeon and anesthesiologist. This is requested to make sure that you are not at risk for a cardiac complication during the operation. If a surgeon is working on a completely different area of your body, the last thing they want is a heart attack while you are under anesthesia. As a cardiologist, I perform testing to ensure that you are truly low cardiac risk and that you will come out of the surgery healthy.
This should relieve any concerns you may have had about seeing a cardiologist. If you have any of these issues, you can rest assured that you will be in good hands if you are seen by a cardiologist. Be sure to share this post with your friends. Until next time…
