Testing Your Heart
Heart disease often strikes without warning and is the number one killer of both men and women in the Unites States. Heart disease often develops at a young age, silently laying the groundwork for a disabling or fatal heart attack several decades later. The ideal, of course, is to know what's happening inside the heart and blood vessels so that problems can be headed off early. There are numerous tests at OLBH, some simple and others sophisticated, which can do just that.
"Equally impressive as today's modern medications are some of the advanced diagnostic tools that have been developed to detect heart disease," Charles Rhodes, M.D., OLBH cardiologist, said.
Noninvasive exams available at the OLBH Cardiology Department include:
- Cardiac stress testing - Exercise cardiac stress tests involve walking on a treadmill with progressive increases in speed and elevation. Drug-induced cardiac stress tests chemically stimulate the heart to mimic the stress of exercise. During the exam, doctors can determine if the blood supply is reduced in the arteries that supply the heart, a sign that there may be a blockage.
- Echocardiogram - A diagnostic method to transmit waves into the body using ultrasound. The echoes that come back from the heart's surface are transformed into a video picture showing the size, shape, and movement of the heart.
- Electrocardiogram - Commonly known as an EKG or an ECG, an electrocardiogram is a graphic illustration of the electrical currents that run through the heart as it pumps.
- Nuclear cardiology exams - These studies involve the use of nuclear medications and computer images to diagnose heart disease.
- Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE). The most common type of echocardiogram, this test allows for views of the heart obtained by using echoes from different locations on a patient's chest or abdominal wall.
For more information about how OLBH can help determine the extent of heart disease, please speak to your physician. If you do not have a family physician, call the CareLine at (606) 833-CARE (2273) for a physician referral.
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