The field of cardiology is described to be the branch of medicine that deals with abnormalities and diseases that impact the heart. Specialists in this field are called cardiologists and are often utilized in hospitals and other practices for medical consultations. Cardiovascular issues are a common reason for hospitalizations, so how does a cardiologist help out in this regard?
Daily Duties of a Cardiologist According to Dr. Allen Amorn
A cardiologist can be found working in a variety of health care settings, ranging from clinics to hospitals. Cardiologists such as Dr. Allen Amorn work closely in conjunction with their own patients, nurses, medical technicians and primary care physicians in order to help diagnose conditions, treat patients and create a comprehensive plan of care to promote optimal health.
With this heavy responsibility, cardiologists work long hours, frequently on an irregular basis, in order to keep in constant communication with their patients and monitor their status. Their specific day-to-day duties comprise of treating patients directly. This can include treating heart attacks, blocked arteries, irregular heartbeats, valve disease, heart muscle weakness, and other diseases of the heart. However, another big responsibility placed on the shoulders of cardiologists is to assess the risk factors of a patient to see how likely they are to contract another cardiovascular related issues and create proactive treatments before the heart condition worsens.
When Should You Consider Seeing a Local Cardiologist?
One heavy drawback when it comes to certain cardiovascular issues, such as blood pressure monitoring, is that symptoms are not always obvious and can be attributed to a wide variety of factors. That is why it is important to have routine physical checkups so that something slightly abnormal can be acted upon.
If a physician recommends seeing a cardiologist, if you have a significant family history and if you have abnormal labs (cholesterol, triglycerides, etc.), then you should see a cardiologist. You should also consider seeing one if you were a smoker in the past, because the nicotine present in cigarette smoke lowers the oxygen flow to the heart and increases blood clotting, blood pressure and arterial wall damage. If you fall into any one of these categories, you should consider seeing a cardiologist.
Fat, Obesity, and Heart Health
One of the biggest risk factors to contracting any cardiovascular disease is being overweight or obese. Unfortunately, obesity is a prominent issue in the United States. It is actually estimated that about one in every three Americans is obese.
Being obese puts one at risk for hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, sleep apnea and a litany of other diseases. When you are obese, you have extra layers of subcutaneous fat. All of this fat affects the heart’s function, structure and the lining of blood vessels. This will prevent the heart from getting proper oxygenation and nutrients. The arterial walls start to become compressed or obstructed. This cannot only lead to a heart attack, but it can also cause an abnormal heart rhythm that may require medical intervention. Some modifiable risk factors to prevent obesity include changing diet, being more physically active and preventing harmful behaviors such as drinking alcohol and smoking.
Common Heart Problems and Their Cause
The most common type of heart disease in the United States is coronary artery disease. The coronary arteries are responsible for supplying blood to the heart. However, if cholesterol and plaque start to form inside the arterial walls, this can block the artery and obstruct the blood flow. When this happens, one is at an increased risk for chest pain (angina). Also, the part of the heart muscle that is denied blood starts to die due to deprivation of oxygen (the medical term for this is called ischemia).
Heart Rhythm Disorders
The heart is supposed to have a normal heart rhythm, commonly referred to as the “lub-dub” pattern. However, heart rhythm can be affected by not only obesity but other cardiovascular diseases. An abnormal heart rhythm is referred to as an arrhythmia.
Tachycardia is when a heart rhythm exceeds 100 beats per minute, and bradycardia occurs when the heart beats at fewer than 60 beats per minute. Among this and other heart rhythm problems, an electrophysiologist such as Dr. Allen Amorn can help in assessing heart rhythm problems, prescribing medication to stabilize heart rate and analyzing the electrical activity of the heart to find where the abnormal rhythm is originated.