Who is a cardiologist?
The human heart is an essential part of the body and significantly impacts bodily functions when not properly cared for. The prevalence of heart diseases today has caused widespread awareness of the need for healthy lifestyles.
A healthy lifestyle includes checking your cardiovascular health regularly, which involves regular visits to your cardiologist. A cardiologist is a healthcare professional who treats and diagnoses health conditions related to the heart. They are qualified to treat conditions like arrhythmia, heart attack, high blood pressure, etc.
Education and training of a cardiologist
Cardiologists finish four years of medical school after an undergraduate degree, followed by a two- or three-year residency program. They also complete a three-year cardiac specialty program after their residency program.
In the United States, cardiologists undergo nearly ten years of medical training and, after completing their specialty, take the American Board of Internal Medicine's certification test for cardiovascular disease.
Types of cardiology
There are three broad categories of cardiology: invasive, non-invasive, and interventional. Invasive cardiology involves open surgery or minimally invasive procedures that treat problems with the heart structure. Examples of invasive cardiology include angioplasty and stenting.
With non-invasive cardiology, diagnosing heart problems without inserting foreign objects such as fluids, needles, and other instruments into the body is possible. Examples of non-invasive techniques used by cardiologists include echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, heart monitors, stress tests, CT scans, and cardiac electrophysiology. The test results can help heart doctors diagnose disorders and determine treatment.
Interventional cardiology is a nonsurgical method where a catheter repairs parts of the heart structure, such as narrowed arteries and damaged or weakened blood vessels. This technique can treat peripheral, heart valve, and coronary artery disease.
Apart from these three types of cardiology, heart doctors can specialize in clinical cardiology, cardio-oncology, preventive cardiology, geriatric cardiology, and cardiac surgery.
What is an electrocardiogram (ECG), and why might my healthcare provider recommend one?
An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a quick and straightforward test to assess heart function. During an ECG, small adhesive electrodes are placed on the chest, arms, and legs. These electrodes connect to an ECG machine via lead wires, capturing the heart’s electrical activity without sending any electricity into the body.
The heart’s natural electrical impulses coordinate its contractions, ensuring proper blood flow. An ECG records these impulses, showing the heart's rate, rhythm (steady or irregular), and the timing of electrical signals as they travel through the heart. Changes on an ECG can indicate various heart conditions.
Reasons a healthcare provider might recommend an ECG include:
- Investigating the cause of chest pain.
- Evaluating symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, or fainting that may be heart-related.
- Detecting irregular heartbeats.
- Assessing heart health before surgery or after a heart attack, heart infection, surgery, or cardiac catheterization.
- Checking the function of an implanted pacemaker.
- Monitoring the effectiveness of certain heart medications.
- Establishing a baseline heart function record during a physical exam for future comparison.
Your provider may also have other specific reasons for suggesting an ECG.
Signs you should visit a cardiologist near you
Maintaining good heart health is essential. Cardiovascular diseases are growing due to a sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary habits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is one death from cardiovascular disease every 33 seconds in the U.S., making it the most prevalent cause of death.
If you exhibit any of the following symptoms, seeing a cardiologist is the wise choice:
- Frequent shortness of breath can be a warning sign for various heart-related issues.
- Suffer from vitamin deficiency: Low vitamin levels in the body can contribute to various heart problems.
- Experience persistent vertigo, instability, swollen or spinning sensations, etc.: While these symptoms could be signs of weakness, they can also indicate various heart-related problems.
- Have a father or grandmother who suffers from cardiac-related health issues: This may imply a pattern of sickness in your family history and that you have a chance of inheriting it.
- Severe chest pains or chest aches when under stress: Chest discomfort is a significant sign of heart-related problems.
- Have a fluttering sensation in the chest: Other symptoms include palpitations, an irregular pulse, and fluttering in the chest region.
- Face trouble coping with issues like anxiety and depression: Numerous heart-related problems can arise due to recurrent periods of stress, worry, and despair.
Types of diseases cardiologists treat
- Congenital heart conditions
Congenital heart conditions are heart disorders that occur when a defect or abnormality is detected in the structure of a baby fetus's heart while it is still inside the mother's womb. The child may have one or several defects in the heart's structure.
These structural defects might be mild at times. If the abnormality of the structural weakness is significant, it can be life-threatening immediately or over time. Symptoms of congenital heart disorders include irregular heart rhythms, known as arrhythmia, shortness of breath, and edema.
High blood pressure, sometimes called hypertension, is a common health disease affecting the heart and other organs. Heavy blood pressure on artery walls can harm organs like the heart over the long run. Hypertension can stem from hereditary causes, lifestyle, diet, etc.
Hypertension occurs due to the quantity of blood pumped by the heart and its opposition to the flow of blood in the arteries. When high blood pressure is not regulated, it can cause severe issues, including heart attacks and strokes. One can have hypertension even when no obvious symptoms are present.
Arrhythmia causes the heart to follow an irregular heartbeat. Arrhythmias cause the person to experience a fluttering or racing heart. The heart's rhythm becomes unstable due to insufficient coordination between electrical signals and heartbeats.
An absence of signaling occurs due to low coordination, which causes the heart to beat too slowly (bradycardia) or fast (tachycardia). Though the condition may cause no harm in many cases, it still has the potential to be life-threatening. A cardiologist may prescribe medications, catheter procedures, implanted devices, or surgery to control the frequency of the heartbeat.
Risk factors and treatment of a heart attack
Certain risk factors of heart disease, such as age and family history, are unchangeable. Obstructive sleep apnea is another risk factor for heart disease, which the doctor must identify in time and monitor. However, you can change and reduce your risk through specific lifestyle changes, such as:
- Avoiding smoking.
- Reducing cholesterol consumption and keeping levels in check.
- Avoiding obesity with regular exercise and activity.
- Keeping a tab on your sugar levels if you have diabetes or are prediabetic.
- Avoiding food with saturated and trans fats.
- Reducing excessive alcohol consumption.
In case of a recent heart attack, heart doctors might suggest specific interventions (surgery or nonsurgical). In addition to providing pain relief, these procedures can lessen the risk of having another heart attack. Common approaches to treatment include:
- Stent: This is a small metal or plastic tube inserted inside a blood vessel or other hollow structures in the body to keep it open.
- Angioplasty: An angioplasty releases a clogged artery using a balloon or eliminating plaque build-up.
- Heart bypass surgery: The doctor reroutes the blood flow around the blockage caused by a clot or plaque.
- Heart valve surgery: To assist the heart in pumping, surgeons replace or repair leaky valves.
- Pacemaker: This is a tiny electronic device implanted beneath the outermost layer of the chest or abdomen to help manage abnormal heart rhythms. It uses electrical pulses to get the heart to beat at a normal rate and rhythm.
- Heart transplant: Recommended in cases where a heart attack results in irreversible cardiac tissue death.
- Oral medication: Your doctor may recommend several drugs to avoid a future heart attack. Always take your medicines as prescribed unless your physician or cardiologist instructs you otherwise.
How can I improve my heart health?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also highlighted the importance of heart health. They have established February as American Heart Month to educate the public about heart disease and stroke.
Everybody knows exercise and a good diet are common ways to improve heart health. But what are some other methods to make it stronger and healthier? Here are a few expert-suggested tips from Cleveland Clinic that you can follow to be heart healthy:
- Choose healthy fats instead of trans fats: Saturated, polyunsaturated, and unsaturated fats are essential to a healthy diet. However, trans fats are not. They clog arteries by increasing bad cholesterol (LDL) levels and decreasing healthy cholesterol (HDL) levels. They also raise the lifelong risk of developing heart disease or stroke. Hence, avoiding foods with trans fat is a healthier choice. Checking food labels can help you identify them on the ingredients list mentioned as partially hydrogenated oils. Trans fat should be 0%.
- Maintain good oral hygiene: Dental health is an excellent indicator of overall health, including the heart. This is because people with periodontal (gum) disease generally have the same risk factors for heart disease. You can brush your teeth twice daily and floss to prevent gum disease.
- Have a healthy sleep routine: Getting enough sleep is the key to a healthier heart. Lack of sleep can elevate cardiovascular disease risk regardless of age or harmful habits. According to researchers, insufficient sleep can affect various biological functions and underlying medical issues, including blood pressure and inflammation. Thus, it would help if you prioritize getting 7-8 hours of sleep every day. Moreover, people with sleep apnea should receive treatment as it's closely linked to heart disease and arrhythmias.
- Be active and avoid sitting in one place for too long: No matter how much exercise you do, sitting still for extended periods is unhealthy. This is bad news for the many workers who spend their days doing sedentary jobs. It can elevate your risk of deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot, particularly when traveling. Therefore, experts advise moving about often during the day. Utilize a standing workstation, park further from the workplace, and take a few quick daily walks.
- Avoid secondhand smoke: Tobacco smoke exposure causes lung cancer and early death from heart disease. Secondhand smoke also increases heart disease risk in nonsmokers with high blood pressure or cholesterol. This is because the chemicals released by cigarette smoke encourage artery plaque formation. Keep your boundaries firm with smokers and keep children away from secondhand smoke.
What should you expect during a visit to a cardiologist?
During your visit to a cardiologist, they will discuss your symptoms and lifestyle habits to understand your heart health better. They may also perform tests to identify any specific cardiovascular conditions. Common tests include:
- Ultrasound
- Cardiac biopsy
- Stress test
- EKG (Electrocardiogram)
- Cardiac catheterization
These assessments help evaluate your heart’s overall condition. Once they review your test results, the cardiologist will diagnose your problem and recommend a treatment plan. Cardiovascular conditions often diagnosed include congenital heart disease, coronary artery disease, and vascular disease.
Treatment plans may involve medications, as well as dietary and lifestyle recommendations. In cases of more serious conditions, surgery may be necessary.
Locate the best cardiologist near you in Baltimore
If you live in Baltimore and are experiencing any symptoms related to heart conditions or cardiovascular diseases, book an appointment with a cardiologist as soon as possible. You can book an appointment with the help of the Zocdoc website, where you can browse through a library of verified cardiologists.
You must enter the problem/symptoms, location, date, and insurance plan. Based on these filters, a list of the best cardiologists in Baltimore will appear. On Zocdoc, every cardiologist has a profile that includes all the details required, such as their educational history, certifications, years of experience, awards, and verified patient reviews.
Choosing a cardiologist in your vicinity who takes your health insurance is essential since heart-related treatments are costly. Don't worry; Zocdoc has got you covered here too! By choosing your insurance carrier and plan from the drop-down box at the top of the page, you can also determine whether your chosen cardiologist takes your insurance.
Our online patient support center can help you find cardiologists who accept your insurance. Through Zocdoc, you can connect your medical, dental, and vision insurance plans directly to your account, though you can use only one insurance plan per appointment.
If you have multiple insurance plans, you can easily add details about your secondary insurance in the appointment notes. Additionally, if your healthcare provider uses Zocdoc's Intake forms, you can enter your secondary insurance information for a more streamlined experience.
With Zocdoc, you can easily book in-person and virtual appointments based on the doctor's availability and find the ideal cardiologist. Whether it is on the weekend, 24 hours in advance, or after 5 PM, Zocdoc allows you to book appointments based on your convenience.
Booking appointments with cardiologists near you on Zocdoc is fast, free, and secure!
Statistics on heart conditions in Baltimore
According to a 2013 Baltimore City Health Department report, heart disease was the cause of close to 1,600 deaths in Baltimore. Cardiovascular disease and stroke were the primary causes of death.
Following an analysis of 55 neighborhood health profiles, the Baltimore City Health Department published another study in 2015 titled "Healthy Baltimore 2015," concluding that cardiovascular illnesses were the leading cause of mortality. The survey also noted a difference in life expectancy between low-and high-income communities of twenty or two decades.
According to a Maryland Department of Health poll, heart diseases and illnesses like stroke are considered the state's first and third leading causes of mortality, respectively. In Maryland, about 3.6% of adults received a diagnosis of angina or coronary heart disease in 2020. Nearly 3.4% of Maryland's adult population had a heart attack, while around 2.8% reported having had a stroke.
Sources
WebMD
Mayo Clinic[1]
Mayo Clinic[2]
Mayo Clinic[3]
Maryland Department of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Cleveland Clinic[1]
Cleveland Clinic[2]
Cleveland Clinic[3]
University of Rochester Medical Center
Baltimore City Health Department
