Cardiac Care
Heart disease is the number-one killer in the United States and is a major cause of disability. Heart disease can begin as early as childhood, so even if you have no symptoms, early prevention is key to living a long, healthy life. People can be born with heart disease or it can develop over decades.
At Carolinas Coastal Health, we want to keep your heart healthy, so we take a comprehensive approach to cardiac care. J. Wellington Adams, MD, and Heather Britt, RN, will work with you on diet, exercise, medications and risk modification to help manage your cardiac health. We believe that patient education and involvement in treatment is important to keeping your heart healthy. We talk with you about your disease process and treatment before you leave our office. In addition, we offer on-site EKGs.
Types of heart disease
While heart disease takes many forms, the most common is coronary artery disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. This condition is the result of narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. This is the major reason people have heart attacks.
Symptoms can include:
- Chest pain, and pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body including the arms, left shoulder, back, neck, jaw, or stomach
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Sweating or “cold sweat”
- Fullness, indigestion, or choking feeling (may feel like heartburn)
- Nausea or vomiting
- Light-headedness, dizziness, extreme weakness or anxiety
- Rapid or irregular heartbeats
If you have any of the above symptoms for more than five minutes, dial 911.
Another type of heart disease, congestive heart failure, occurs when the pumping action of the heart is impaired, and the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. When the heart cannot pump out the blood it receives, excess fluid may back up into the lungs and other body tissues.
Decreased nourishment to the body, and the overflow of fluid to the lungs, cause symptoms of congestive heart failure. These can include: fatigue; swelling of ankles and legs or abdomen; shortness of breath, especially during exercise and when lying flat; increased urination; nausea, abdominal pain and decreased appetite.
Cause and Prevention
Research has found that risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, elevated serum cholesterol, smoking, obesity, diabetes and physical inactivity, You can help reduce your risk of heart disease by taking steps to control factors that put you at greater risk:
- Control your blood pressure
- Lower your cholesterol
- Don't smoke
- Get enough exercise
|
