General Information About Cardiology Princeton NJ Residents Need To Know

By Andrea Davidson

Cardiology is a medical specialty that deals with disorders of the heart. It includes the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure, congenital heart defects, electrophysiology, valvular heart disease, and coronary heart disease. Specialists in this field are called cardiologists. To provide better health care cardiology Princeton NJ based hospital departments are fully equipped with the latest medical technology.

Cardiology mainly focuses on medical conditions that are related to the heart. This organ has a number of features which are classified as either anatomical or physiological. Examples of physiological process include heart sounds, systoles and after load. Anatomical features are ventricles, heart valves, atria among others. It continuously pumps to all the parts of the body which makes it susceptible to failure or dysfunction.

There are a number of disorders that are precursors of cardiovascular and heart disease. Today, these medical conditions are among the major causes of deaths in many countries. This specialty is concerned with normal functionality and the deviation from a healthy heart. There are those disorders that occur outside the heart and those that directly involve it. These disorders interfere with coronary circulation and cause devastating effects.

The heart is a vital organ of your body and requires specialized care. Most complications that affect this organ are beyond the scope of a general doctor. There are a number of symptoms that are indicators of heart complications and require special testing. These include shortness of breath, chest pains and dizzy spells. Other symptoms that require the attention of a cardiologist are ECG changes and heart murmurs. Cardiologists also offer counseling and educate patients about potential risks and prevention measures.

There are a number of tests that are performed in the diagnosis of heart complications. These include cardiac catheterization, ambulatory ECG and echocardiogram. The cardiologist performs a physical examination that involves checking the heart, blood pressure, lungs, blood vessels and body weight. The medical history of patients is also reviewed. Complex problems may require additional tests to diagnose. In most cases, cardiologists administer medications and recommend lifestyle changes.

Cardiology has three main branches namely intervention, non-invasive and invasive. Interventional treatment procedures involve the use of catheters to restore the proper functioning of the heart. It is also performed when the arteries are blocked to correct the problem. There are various advantages of interventional methods. It is painless process, patients recover quickly and scars on occur on the patient.

Invasive cardiovascular procedures refer to tests and treatments in which diagnostic and therapeutic tools are inserted into the body to cure heart disorders. Some of the tools used include catheters, stents and balloons. There are various invasive procedures including angiography, cardiac catheterization and pacemaker insertion. These procedures should only be performed by qualified cardiologists.

Non-invasive cardiology employs imaging techniques such as radiology. It focuses on the detection and treatment of heart complications using external tests. Some of the non-invasive tests cardiology Princeton NJ based hospitals offer includes tilt table testing, exercise tolerance testing, ECGs, Holter monitoring and echocardiography. These tests are mostly recommend for individuals with symptoms such as unexplained chest pain, history of a heart disease and suspected valve disease.

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