Heart diseases and circulatory problems are the areas of cardiology. Since all changes in the cardiovascular system have serious health consequences, any problems and symptoms in this system require medical consultation. Depending on the procedure – whether invasive or non-invasive – suitable diagnostic and treatment techniques are used.
Besides cardiosurgery, cardiology is the fastest growing field of clinical medicine. A cardiologist is involved in the diagnostics of cardiac and vascular diseases, identifies congenital and acquired defects, determines the treatment methods and supervises the rehabilitation of patients with cardiological problems. ENEL-SPORT provides each patient with the basic, intensive medical care, access to top-class specialists and examinations in both non-invasive and invasive cardiology.
Cardiology
When should we seek medical assistance?
Cardiovascular diseases are one of the main threats to our health. Their symptoms may deteriorate for years and, therefore, they are often ignored, and the cardiac problems are assigned to tiredness or irritation. Our heart is most negatively affected by hurry and stress, especially chronic and long-term, obesity, irrational diet and lipid disorders. Therefore, if you have been feeling weak for some time and become tired more quickly, it is worth planning an appointment with a cardiologist. A consultation is particularly indicated in the case of:
- chest pain – in the area of the oesophagus (gullet), sternum (breastbone), lungs and cervical spine;
- dyspnoea – especially after physical effort, when accompanied by a chest pain;
- palpitations and irregular heartbeat – occurring after a period of intensive work, especially with a feeling of fatigue;
- fatigability – regardless of the fitness level, particularly after a past infection;
- fainting – short-term loss of consciousness is often caused by diseases of the cardiovascular system, i.e. cardiac arrhythmia or a heart condition, which requires detailed diagnostics and implementation of a suitable treatment.
The role of cardiology is to promote a healthy lifestyle and combat the risk factors behind cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, each person aged over 40 years old should make a preventive appointment with a cardiologist once a year to control the pulse, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.
What does the visit look like?
The key element of cardiological diagnostics is a precise medical history, during which the cardiologist discusses all the symptoms and the accompanying complaints with the patient.
During an appointment, the doctor listens to the heartbeat via a stethoscope, checks the pulse and measures blood pressure. In some cases, it might be necessary to extend the diagnostics and perform:
- arterial blood pressure measurement in a lying position;
- resting ECG;
- stress ECG;
- Holter ECG;
- echocardiogram (using an ultrasound machine).
To make a proper diagnosis, a cardiologist may prescribe imaging tests, such as: a chest x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging, SPECT radioisotope scan or ECG stress test.
What diseases may the specialist diagnose?
A cardiologist diagnoses and treats such problems as:
- congenital cardiac defects;
- acute or chronic heart failure;
- coronary heart disease and arterial hypertension (vascular diseases);
- atherosclerosis;
- angina pectoris;
- cardiac arrhythmias;
- myocarditis (bacterial, viral, rheumatic);
- valve-related problems (congenital and acquired);
- complications after past myocardial infarction.
