Frequently Asked Questions

A cardiologist is a health care provider who treats a wide range of conditions, including: 

• Chest pain
• High blood pressure
• Heart failure
• Heart valve issues
• Blood vessel problems
• Other heart and vascular issues

A cardiologist can order various tests, such as echocardiograms, electrocardiograms, and cardiovascular stress tests. 

A cardiologist specializes in treating heart conditions and diseases. They also help patients manage their heart conditions. A cardiologist can help diagnose heart issues and treat any symptoms related to your heart. 

Your general doctor may send you to see a cardiologist if they feel that you have significant heart-related issues or problems. 

A cardiologist treats heart-related health symptoms. When you see a cardiologist, you will want to have a list of questions and concerns to share with your cardiologist. Here are a few questions you may want to ask your cardiologist: 

• How does my family history affect my heart health? 
• What is my blood pressure reading? Is my blood pressure reading normal? 
• What is my cholesterol level? How does it affect my heart health?
• What are my treatment options for the heart symptoms I am experiencing? 
• Why am I experiencing heart symptoms? Is it because of my age, weight, or gender? 
• Is my level of stress and anxiety increasing my risk of heart complications? 
• Are my eating habits contributing to my heart symptoms?

You can do a wide range of things to reduce your risk for heart disease. The best thing you can do is live a healthy lifestyle. You need to eat a heart-healthy diet and stay physically active. These two things can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease. 

It is also essential to know your heart health numbers, such as:

• Body mass index
• Blood pressure
• Cholesterol
• Blood sugar

Knowing these numbers can help you address heart disease risk factors. Also, being aware of your family history is important as well. 

A wide range of risk factors can develop slowly over time and lead to heart disease. There isn’t a specific age when you should start worrying about heart disease. 

As an adult, you should continually monitor your risk factors and address those risk factors for heart disease. 

A cardiologist goes through extensive education training. After four years of college, they go through four years of medical school and three years of general internal medicine training.  Then, they spend three more years in specialized cardiovascular disease training.

After all that, they can choose to pursue a subspecialized fellowship in the varied fields of cardiology. It takes over ten years of training to become a cardiologist.

One of the best ways to lower your blood pressure is by eating a heart-healthy diet. A heart-healthy diet includes eating lots of whole grains, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and fruit. You should also limit salt intake as well. 

With a heart attack, symptoms can vary greatly. Some people have mild symptoms, others have severe symptoms, and some have no symptoms. 

A few of the most common heart attack symptoms include: 

• Shortness of breath
• Cold sweat
• Fatigue
• Heartburn or indigestion
• Sudden dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Nausea
• Chest pain where you experience aching, squeezing, tightness, pressure, or pain
• Pain or discomfort that spreads from your chest to the upper belly, shoulders, arm, back, neck, jaw, and teeth 

In addition to the common signs of a heart attack, women sometimes experience atypical symptoms, such as a sharp or brief pain in the back, arm, or neck. 

Your risk for a heart attack depends upon a unique combination of risk factors, such as: 

• Family history
• Age
• Tobacco use
• Blood pressure 
• Cholesterol rating
• Weight

A cardiologist can work with you to evaluate your risk and help you create a plan to care for your heart health. 

Non-invasive treatment means that the treatment or test doesn’t require an incision. 

The most common symptoms of heart failure include: 

• Shortness of breath
• Persistent coughing
• Wheezing
• Swelling
• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• Nausea

If you experience these symptoms, you will want to talk to your cardiologist. 

An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm that makes your heart beat too quickly, slowly, or irregularly. There are many types of arrhythmias, some of which require treatment and some of which are harmless. 

Cardiomyopathy is a disease that impacts the heart muscles and makes the heart weaker. This can lead to heart failure, abnormal heart rhythm, or heart valve problems. 

The severity of cardiomyopathy can vary. It can worsen over time and make it hard for your heart to pump blood through your body.