Vim & Vigor - Summer 2017 - North Mississippi - 44
AT A GLANCE BY MISTI CRANE PUT YOUR TICKER TO THE TEST A guide to the tools doctors use to determine your heart health Chest pain. Shortness of breath. Dizziness. Sweating. Fatigue. All sorts of symptoms can leave our doctors wondering whether poor heart health is to blame. Fortunately, cardiologists have at their disposal a bevy of tests that help them discover the source of trouble and set us on the path to wellness, says Martha Gulati, MD, editor-in-chief of the American College of Cardiology's CardioSmart.org. WEBSITE Be Prepared for Your Doc 44 SUMM ER 2017 In this test, often called an ECG or EKG, leads attached to your chest with adhesive measure your heart's electrical activity, recording its rhythm and detecting skipped beats. It can help doctors determine whether you're having a heart attack and give them insight into damage in the heart. You might be asked to take this test while walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike so your cardiologist can observe your heartbeat under stress. CHEST X-RAY Heart and lung disease can be intertwined, and this test provides a glimpse at both. X-ray images allow cardiologists to look at the size of your heart and can reveal problems such as a cracked rib, the pain from which might mimic heart disease. NUCLEAR STRESS TEST To show blood flow to the heart, a radioactive liquid is injected into your vein. A special camera detects the radiation, producing computer images of your heart. Combined with exercise, the test can determine whether enough blood is reaching your heart during activity and rest. ILLUSTRATION BY THINKSTOCK If you have heart failure, good communication with your doctor is critical. For a list of questions to ask about your condition, visit heart.org and search "heart failure questions." ELECTROCARDIOGRAM
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