{"id":20236,"date":"2023-02-10T10:50:24","date_gmt":"2023-02-10T15:50:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?p=20236"},"modified":"2023-03-03T14:36:47","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T19:36:47","slug":"5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Things I’d Never Do as a Cardiologist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cardiologists mean it when they tell us to live a life of wellness and vigilance. Our hearts are the most vital of organs, and it\u2019s easy to take them for granted. No need to wait for something to go wrong, though \u2014 we can help protect our hearts with some surprisingly simple steps.<\/span><\/p>\n

We caught up with <\/span>Dr. Kaustubh Dabhadkar<\/span><\/a>, a cardiologist at Novant Health Matthews Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. He gave us some pointers on maintaining our heart\u00a0 health, so get ready for five things that a heart doctor would never, ever do, based on years in the field.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

1. I\u2019d never apply too much moisturizer before a cardiologist visit.<\/h3>\n

Dabhadkar says that the slippery surface left by a too-thick application of moisturizer can \u201cmake it harder for us to get a good EKG.\u201d An EKG, or <\/span>electrocardiogram<\/span><\/a>, is a recording of the heart\u2019s electrical activity. Clinicians use it to identify risk factors for disease or diagnose an active heart condition.<\/span><\/p>\n

This procedure intersects with skincare because EKGs require placing electrodes on the patient\u2019s chest \u2014 the sticky circular ones with wires attached, like on TV. Good adhesion in the correct locations is necessary for getting accurate data, and slippery skin will impede the clinician\u2019s work. So keep moisturizer or other oily products off the chest before an EKG.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. I\u2019d never be rude to the front desk or medical assistants.<\/h3>\n

Dabhadkar doesn\u2019t downplay the role of all staff in a medical office: \u201cWe work as a team,\u201d he says, \u201cand my team members’ role in patient care can’t be overstated.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Healthcare workers lead stressful lives, and Dabhadkar wants people to know that he\u2019s not the only person in the room. \u201cPatients are often nice to the physicians,\u201d he says; in his view, they should also extend the courtesy to front desk team members and medical assistants.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. I\u2019d never insist on completing my round of golf while having a heart attack.<\/h3>\n

\u201cI recently cared for a patient who finished his round of golf before coming to the hospital,\u201d Dabhadkar says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Signs of a heart attack always be treated with the greatest urgency. That means dropping the golf club or whatever activity is occupying you and heading straight to the ER. While some heart attacks can last hours, a matter of minutes can still save a life or prevent permanent damage.<\/span><\/p>\n

They aren\u2019t just the domain of the elderly, either. We\u2019re <\/span>all<\/span> at risk of heart disease<\/span><\/a>, and the margin of error for the heart is drastically lower than the rest of the body.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dabhadkar\u2019s story does have a happy ending: \u201cWe quickly set him up for a procedure to open his blocked artery, and he did quite well.\u201d But just because this story turned out fine, that doesn\u2019t mean we should lengthen our odds of survival to protect our golf handicap.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. I\u2019d never listen to healthcare advice on social media.<\/h3>\n

Social media can offer quick fixes or solutions to health issues, but beware of any extravagant promises, no matter how many buzzwords an influencer uses. \u201cSome diets and lifestyles may work for some, but may not work for most,\u201d Dabhadkar says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wellness fads and health advice often <\/span>extrapolate big solutions<\/span><\/a> from extremely limited scientific findings. Even changes that do materialize almost never last. If you\u2019re really looking to make health and lifestyle changes, talk with your doctor about evidence-based steps you can take for realistic and sustainable results.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. I would never do colonic cleansing.<\/h3>\n

Yes, there is a connection between colonic cleanses and cardiovascular health. \u201cColonic cleansing comes with the risk of electrolyte abnormalities,\u201d Dabhadkar says, \u201cwhich could induce life-threatening heart rhythms.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Colon cleanses involve flushing out the colon with fluid solutions to dislodge waste. The process, whether performed at a facility or at home, can carry <\/span>numerous risks<\/span><\/a>, including trauma to the large intestine. In particular, disruptions to the body\u2019s electrolyte balance can have knock-on effects all the way to the heart.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll of this for something that we can’t even show off,\u201d Dabhadkar says.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Need a doctor\u2019s appointment? Find one on\u00a0Zocdoc<\/a>.<\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A cardiologist lists his don\u2019ts for 2023. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":20237,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[228],"tags":[81,56],"class_list":["post-20236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice","tag-preventive-care","tag-primary-care","reviewer-dr-nassim-assefi"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Things I'd Never Do as a Cardiologist - Advice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A cardiologist lists his don\u2019ts for 2023.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Things I'd Never Do as a Cardiologist - Advice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A cardiologist lists his don\u2019ts for 2023.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Paper Gown\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-02-10T15:50:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-03T19:36:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cardiologist.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"448\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Summer Tao\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Summer Tao\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Summer Tao\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/936815c2954962ead1b63459a3977d60\"},\"headline\":\"5 Things I’d Never Do as a Cardiologist\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-10T15:50:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-03T19:36:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/\"},\"wordCount\":700,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cardiologist.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Preventive Care\",\"Primary Care\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Advice\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/\",\"name\":\"5 Things I'd Never Do as a Cardiologist - Advice\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cardiologist.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-10T15:50:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-03T19:36:47+00:00\",\"description\":\"A cardiologist lists his don\u2019ts for 2023.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cardiologist.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cardiologist.jpg\",\"width\":960,\"height\":448},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Advice\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/category\/advice\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"5 Things I’d Never Do as a Cardiologist\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"The Paper Gown\",\"description\":\"Stories for and about patients\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Zocdoc\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png\",\"width\":2059,\"height\":1049,\"caption\":\"Zocdoc\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/936815c2954962ead1b63459a3977d60\",\"name\":\"Summer Tao\",\"description\":\"Summer is a transgender health care researcher and writer. She writes on health care, sex, gaming and whatever else grabs her attention. She can routinely be found indoors, where she paints and plays games.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/author\/inboxsummertao-com\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"5 Things I'd Never Do as a Cardiologist - Advice","description":"A cardiologist lists his don\u2019ts for 2023.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"5 Things I'd Never Do as a Cardiologist - Advice","og_description":"A cardiologist lists his don\u2019ts for 2023.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/","og_site_name":"The Paper Gown","article_published_time":"2023-02-10T15:50:24+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-03-03T19:36:47+00:00","og_image":[{"width":960,"height":448,"url":"https:\/\/zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cardiologist.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Summer Tao","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Summer Tao","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/"},"author":{"name":"Summer Tao","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/936815c2954962ead1b63459a3977d60"},"headline":"5 Things I’d Never Do as a Cardiologist","datePublished":"2023-02-10T15:50:24+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-03T19:36:47+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/"},"wordCount":700,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cardiologist.jpg","keywords":["Preventive Care","Primary Care"],"articleSection":["Advice"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/","url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/","name":"5 Things I'd Never Do as a Cardiologist - Advice","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cardiologist.jpg","datePublished":"2023-02-10T15:50:24+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-03T19:36:47+00:00","description":"A cardiologist lists his don\u2019ts for 2023.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cardiologist.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cardiologist.jpg","width":960,"height":448},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-cardiologist\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Advice","item":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/category\/advice\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"5 Things I’d Never Do as a Cardiologist"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/","name":"The Paper Gown","description":"Stories for and about patients","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Zocdoc","url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png","width":2059,"height":1049,"caption":"Zocdoc"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/936815c2954962ead1b63459a3977d60","name":"Summer Tao","description":"Summer is a transgender health care researcher and writer. She writes on health care, sex, gaming and whatever else grabs her attention. She can routinely be found indoors, where she paints and plays games.","url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/author\/inboxsummertao-com\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20236\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}