Posted on December 28, 2013
What Is The Best Way To Get Rid Of An Atrial Fibrillation
Patients often ask how they can get rid of an atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation (or a fib) is an abnormal rhythm within the heart. It can cause:
Palpitations
Profuse sweating
Shortness of breath
If left untreated for a long period of time, this condition can raise your risk of heart-related complications and stroke.
The best way to get rid of an atrial fibrillation is to seek treatment from a cardiologist. The question then becomes: what treatment is best?
Two Approaches to Treatment
Cardiologists have several different approaches to treating cardiac arrhythmia, but these offshoots usually come from one of two main methods.
Method #1: Rhythm-control-ultimately, the goal is to get your heart back into a normal rhythm and keep it there. It sounds deceptively simple, but for someone with a fib, it can be a challenge. This approach is primarily therapy and lifestyle based.
A heart specialist will look at triggers of a fib in your daily life, such as:
- Stress
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Anxiety
- Diet
- Smoking
Once those factors have been evaluated, your specialist will help you adjust the factors in your life that could be responsible for a fib. Sometimes learning skills like stress management and a few nutritional guidelines is all it takes to get rid of atrial fibrillation.
The problem with the first approach is that it may set an unrealistic or unachievable goal for certain patients suffering from arrhythmia. If this is the case, they may benefit more from a secondary approach.
More than a Lifestyle Modification
Simple changes may work for some a fib patients, but for others it’s more about getting the symptoms of the condition under control as quickly as possible to reduce the dangerous secondary health risks that can develop.
Method #2: Rate-control – for patients suffering from prolonged a fib, there needs to be an alternative approach to therapy and lifestyle changes. It’s usually more effective to allow the symptoms to persist until they can be safely reduced and eliminated.
Using this approach you slowly return the heart to a normal rate while addressing risk factors. It’s not uncommon for the second method to be supported by medications like blood thinners and anticoagulants. These medicinal boosts reduce your risk of stroke.
Which treatment is the right treatment to get rid of atrial fibrillation? Some patients have arrhythmia caused by external environmental influences, while others have secondary conditions like heart failure or CAD that contribute to their rhythm problems.
A cardiovascular evaluation will determine the correct approach.
& Dr. Seldon, a Heart Doctor and Cardiologist in New York City, offers same day appointments and all testing is done on site. Call us at (212) 367-8000.
Posted on December 27, 2013
Where Do I Find The Best Heart Attack Treatment
The answer to the question of where to find the best heart attack treatment begins with your very own medicine cabinet.
A heart attack is a difficult occurrence to predict. The biggest reason for this is that the blood flow to your heart can be restricted or partially blocked without showing any outward signs or symptoms. It’s only when the blockage reaches 90 to 100 percent that you began to have physical responses. You have to act quickly to preserve your cardiac function and save your life.
This article will focus on a few key steps you can take to increase your chances of survival and access the best heart attack treatment available.
The Countdown
Patients don’t often realize how small the window to access heart attack treatment actually is. In fact, they tend to avoid the information until it’s absolutely necessary to know. Don’t avoid this information. The knowledge can save your life, but you have to have it ahead of time.
Cardiologists estimate that from the time an infarction begins they have 90 minutes to unblock the heart and resort of the blood flow before too much heart muscle has died for your heart to function. As scary as that is, there are things you can do to keep time on your side.
1. The moment you start having chest pains chew an uncoated aspirin. Aspirin is a blood thinner an anticoagulant. It will stop blood clots from forming (also beneficial during a stroke).
2. Immediately tell a friend or loved one that you think you’re having a heart attack. Ask them to call 911 and inform the operator that it’s a possible heart attack. That information will be relayed to the paramedics who will in turn relay it to the hospital while you are en route. That means, by the time the ambulance pulls into the hospital, the staff will be fully prepared for heart attack treatment.
3. They will move as quickly as possible to unblock the heart and restore healthy blood flow. Some treatment centers and hospitals can unblock a heart in as little as 50 minutes, but the average is 90.
4. During your recovery, find out about the best local cardiac rehab program available. When you are released from the hospital, enroll in that program. You are not out of the woods just because you survived one heart attack. Without rehab, you are 4 to 6 times more likely to have second one within six months.
This is how to get the best heart attack treatment possible.
Dr. Seldon, a Heart Doctor and Cardiologist in New York City, offers same day appointments and all testing is done on site. Call us at (212) 367-8000.
Posted on December 26, 2013
Is A Cardiologist Visit Without Insurance Very Expensive
Insurance questions come up all the time when patients confront the realities of seeing heart specialist, but what about facing the reality of a cardiologist visit without insurance?
Many Americans are unemployed and uninsured, or simply cannot afford health insurance. It’s a gamble more and more patients are having to take. What happens when you lose? A cardiologist visit without insurance can be very expensive. However, it depends on the type of treatment you need.
This article will give you some guidelines, so you know the kind of out-of-pocket expenses you may need cover.
Phase One: The Evaluation
Generally, you don’t start out seeing a cardiologist for invasive testing right away. Your journey starts at a walk-in or urgent care clinic.
Primary care physician or NP appointments run between $50 and $150. This doesn’t include the cost of any lab work or additional testing that might be necessary. If after being evaluated by a PCP you are referred to a cardiologist, there will be different fees for the different services performed by the specialist.
A cardiologist visit without insurance starts in the $200 to $400 range.
This covers:
- The office visit
- Physical exam
- Electrocardiogram (EKG)
It covers the basics of what a heart specialist looks for. Beyond that, you are entering phase two.
Phase Two: Additional Testing
The final amount you pay out-of-pocket depends on how much more information your cardiologist may need to diagnose and treat your heart problem.
Assuming that the EKG either didn’t show enough or indicated that there was a more serious problem; it’s likely you’re looking at covering the cost of more tests. The list could include an echocardiogram to check your heart function and the stress test to check for blocked arteries.
An echocardiogram cost about $300 and the stress test can cost anywhere from $500 to $1,000. These costs do not include any prescribed medications, repeat visits, or hospital stays.
If your PCP believes that your symptoms warrant a cardiologist visit without insurance, ask for referrals to government and university hospitals; they are usually cheaper than private clinics.
You also have the option of working out a payment plan with private clinics.
Dr. Seldon, a Heart Doctor and Cardiologist in New York City, offers same day appointments and all testing is done on site. & Call us at (212) 367-8000.
Posted on December 25, 2013
What Are My Options For Getting My Heart Checked
Posted on December 24, 2013
What Happens After I Experience Heart Failure
In a healthy heart, there is a life-sustaining balance between the heart and lungs. The oxygen that you breathe in through your lungs is used to oxygenate your body
Posted on December 23, 2013
Are Most Heart Failures Treatable
The first thing to understand about heart failure is the difference between the words “curable
Posted on December 22, 2013
Who Are The Best Arrhythmias Doctors In New York
When you have a heart problem, what kind of doctor do you see? Most people would automatically answer with a cardiologist, of course. What a lot of patients fail to realize until they have a heart problem is the type of cardiologist you see depends on the origin of your heart condition.
The Arrhythmia Doctor is in
An arrhythmia is a relatively common heart condition, but the causes behind the condition are what draw a cardiologist to become an arrhythmias doctor.
A simpler explanation of cardiac arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. The irregularity comes from a malfunction in the electrical impulses of your heart. The palpitations and other symptoms associated with the condition can come from something as simple as stress or as complicated as an incorrect electrical pathway in the heart muscle itself.
The diagnostic mystery requires the expertise of an arrhythmias doctor in order to solve the problem. Your arrhythmia specialist will start with a list of obvious suspects first.
From Usual Suspects to the Unusual Ones
You will be asked some basic questions about the type of symptoms you’re experiencing and how long those symptoms have been present.
It’s not abnormal for patients to initially ignore the signs and symptoms of an irregular heartbeat. Your heart rate is designed to increase under stress, physical exertion, and the release of adrenaline into the body. However, these rate increases should be of a short duration.
If you feel heart flutters in combination with decreased exercise capacity, fatigue, or chest pains; it is time to get referred to in arrhythmias doctor.
Simple lifestyle changes might be enough to curb the underlying stressors that are causing the condition. Stress management is particularly valuable if you’re struggling with heart palpitations. In addition, you may be advised to reduce or eliminate the following substances:
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Nicotine
- Chocolate
These are common stimulants that can contribute to heart palpitations and other symptoms that commonly present with arrhythmias.
The more serious possibility is that your arrhythmia is caused by atrial fibrillation, or more rarely, supraventricular tachycardia (SVT).
There is a chance that atrial fibrillation can be corrected through chemical cardioversion. In other words, using a combination of certain heart medicines to chemically reset the heart
Posted on December 21, 2013
How Do I Know The Right Time To See A Cardiologist
Cardiology answers complex questions about the heart as well as simple ones. One of the most frequent questions from a first-time heart patient is: when do I see a cardiologist? Advice on the subject is somewhat misleading.
The Timeline of Heart Health
Certain facts about heart health would have you believe you should see a cardiologist after the age of 40 or 45, depending on the circumstances. In actuality, that’s when the first signs of heart disease may start to present themselves.
It is always possible, especially in cases where heart disease is hereditary, for signs and symptoms to present much earlier. If heart disease runs in your family, you will most likely be monitored by the time you’re in your early 30s. However, tracking the signs and symptoms of cardiovascular problems does not necessarily involve going to see a cardiologist.
Your primary care physician can complete the initial stages of heart monitoring without having to involve a specialist. If your symptoms stay manageable with regular checkups and medications, you may not need to see a cardiologist at all.
There are only three instances in which you want to make an appointment to see a cardiologist:
- You are referred to a heart specialist by your primary care physician.
- You have signs and symptoms of heart disease that go beyond the point of medicinal manageability.
- You want the second opinion of a cardiologist independent of a referral.
By the way, suffering a heart attack qualifies as your symptoms going beyond the point of medicinal manageability. If a heart attack occurs, you will see a cardiologist on a regular basis indefinitely.
Why the Confusion?
It may seem like just about everyone around you is getting heart scans and stress tests, but these things aren’t usually recommended without the motivation of medical necessity.
You can always opt to get the tests regardless of whether you
Posted on December 20, 2013
What Can A Vascular Ultrasound Do For Me
An ultrasound scans the internal organs and functions of the body using an external device. The technology can tell doctors many things about your biological functions and health. A vascular ultrasound looks specifically at your circulation and blood flow as it relates to the vital functions of the:
- Heart
- Brain
- Lungs
- Kidneys
The blood flow to these organs is controlled by the rhythm and the rate of your heart. What doctors see on an ultrasonic scan can indicate underlying problems that have not started to surface symptomatically.
Customizing a Snapshot
A heart specialist can trace your blood flow from your carotid artery to the smaller profuse veins in your legs. If need be, the specialist can take a head to toe snapshot of your circulatory system.
What is being looked at on a vascular ultrasound? There are specific signs of circulatory problems that could lead to:
- Heart disease
- Heart failure
- Stroke
- Edema
- Pulmonary malfunction
- Kidney disease
These signs show up in your circulatory system first.
If the symptoms can be traced and the severity diagnosed; the underlying condition may be treated or slowed to improve your overall function and quality of life.
A vascular ultrasound allows a specialist to see the full picture of what your internal function looks like. That picture can be blown up or taken from far away. Depending on how large of an area your cardiologist wants to see, the specialist may take scans from different angles and ranges. The scans can include sound so that any change in rate or rhythm is noted.
Signs of:
- Blockage
- Impending hemorrhage
- Fluid buildup
- Organ enlargement
Can be seen on the ultrasound screen by a specially trained eye.
The sooner these warning signs are spotted, the better a patient can diligently start working against them and reducing their risk factors for heart disease and other related conditions.
So, to answer the question, what can a vascular ultrasound do for you? It can jumpstart your efforts to prevent and minimize the effects of heart disease on your body. The sooner you know where you stand on the risk scale, the better you can fight against the potentially fatal effects of the disease-that when caught early-is not only treatable; it’s preventable.
If your primary care physician or cardiologist is concerned about how hypertension and other risk factors are affecting your circulatory function; you will likely be asked to undergo a vascular ultrasound to pinpoint the internal cause of external triggers.
Schedule your vascular ultrasound at a local cardiac clinic and find out what happens next.
Dr. Seldon, a Heart Doctor and Cardiologist in New York City, offers same day appointments and all testing is done on site. Call us at (212) 367-8000.
Posted on December 19, 2013
Locate A Specialist For Blood Pressure In Manhattan
High blood pressure is a progressive symptom of heart disease. At first, it may seem to do very little damage, but over time it can lead to cardiac damage that causes heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure. Each of these outcomes is life-altering with the potential to be fatal.
Your best defense against this silent health hazard is to lead a heart healthy life and find a specialist for blood pressure.
The Importance of finding the Right Doctor for the Job
Many patients who struggle with high blood pressure start out on a medication regiment that is managed by their healthcare provider. This will work as a short-term solution, but it is not uncommon for blood pressure to prove difficult to control by standard medicinal means.
If you’re hypertension reaches a serious point, you will most likely be referred to a cardiologist. At this crossroads, it is very important that you make sure were your cardiologist is a certified specialist for blood pressure. The heart
