Quick Facts: Heart and Blood Vessel Disorders

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Diagnosis of Heart and Blood Vessel Disorders

• Cardiac Catheterization
  • What is cardiac catheterization?
  • Why would I need cardiac catheterization?
  • How is cardiac catheterization done?
    • Treatment during cardiac catheterization
  • Are there any side effects to cardiac catheterization?
  • What can a doctor learn from cardiac catheterization?

• Echocardiography and Other Ultrasound Procedures
  • What is echocardiography?
  • Why would I need an echo?
  • How is an echo done?
  • Are there any side effects to an echo?
  • What can my doctor learn from my echo?

• Electrocardiography
  • What is electrocardiography (ECG, EKG)?
  • Why would I need an ECG?
  • How is an ECG done?
  • Are there any side effects to an ECG?
  • What can my doctor learn from my ECG?
  • Should I carry a copy of my ECG?

• Stress Testing
  • What is a stress test?
  • Why would I need a stress test?
  • How is a stress test done?
  • Are there any side effects to a stress test?
  • What can my doctor learn from the stress test?

Heart Failure

• Heart Failure
  • What is heart failure?
  • Who can have heart failure?
  • What causes heart failure?
  • What are the symptoms of heart failure?
  • How can doctors tell if I have heart failure?
  • Can my doctor treat my heart failure?
  • What types of medicines can treat heart failure?
  • What can I do if I have heart failure?
  • Try to be more comfortable
  • Manage your medicines
  • Keep in touch with your doctor or health care team
  • Have a healthy lifestyle
  • How can I prevent heart failure?

Aneurysms and Aortic Dissection

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
  • What is an abdominal aortic aneurysm?
  • What causes an abdominal aortic aneurysm?
  • What are the symptoms of an abdominal aortic aneurysm?
  • How can doctors tell if I have an abdominal aortic aneurysm?
  • How do doctors treat an abdominal aortic aneurysm?
    • Surgery

• Aortic Dissection
  • What is an aortic dissection?
  • What causes an aortic dissection?
  • What are the symptoms of aortic dissection?
  • How can doctors tell if I have an aortic dissection?
  • How do doctors treat an aortic dissection?
    • Surgery
    • Medicines

• Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms
  • What is a thoracic aortic aneurysm?
  • What causes thoracic aortic aneurysms?
  • What are the symptoms of a thoracic aortic aneurysm?
  • How can doctors tell if I have a thoracic aortic aneurysm?
  • How do doctors treat a thoracic aortic aneurysm?
    • Surgery

Atherosclerosis

• Atherosclerosis
  • What is atherosclerosis?
  • What causes atherosclerosis?
  • What increases the risk of atherosclerosis?
  • What are the symptoms of atherosclerosis?
  • How can doctors tell if I have atherosclerosis?
  • How do doctors treat and prevent atherosclerosis?

Coronary Artery Disease

• Overview of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
  • What is coronary artery disease?
  • What causes coronary artery disease?
  • What are the risk factors for coronary artery disease?
  • How can doctors tell if I have coronary artery disease?
  • How do doctors treat coronary artery disease?
  • How can I prevent or reverse coronary artery disease?
    • Change behaviors that may hurt your heart
    • Take your medicines correctly

• Angina
  • What is angina?
  • What causes angina?
  • What are the symptoms of angina?
  • How can doctors tell if I have angina?
  • How do doctors treat angina?

• Heart Attack
  • What is a heart attack?
  • What causes a heart attack?
  • What are the symptoms of a heart attack?
  • How can doctors tell if I have a heart attack?
  • How do doctors treat heart attacks?
    • Open blocked arteries
    • Treat the cause of your heart attack
  • How can I prevent a heart attack?
    • Change behaviors that may hurt your heart
    • Take your medicines correctly

• Unstable Angina
  • What is unstable angina?
  • What causes unstable angina?
  • What are the symptoms of unstable angina?
  • How can doctors tell if I have unstable angina?
  • How do doctors treat unstable angina?
    • Treat the cause of your unstable angina
  • How can I prevent unstable angina?
    • Change behaviors that may hurt your heart
    • Take your medicines correctly

Venous Disorders

• Chronic Venous Insufficiency and Post-Thrombotic Syndrome
  • What are chronic venous insufficiency and post-thrombotic syndrome?
  • What causes chronic venous insufficiency?
  • What are the symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency?
  • How can doctors tell if I have chronic venous insufficiency?
  • How do doctors treat chronic venous insufficiency?
  • How can I prevent chronic venous insufficiency?

• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
  • What is deep vein thrombosis?
  • What causes DVT?
  • What are the symptoms of DVT?
  • What are the complications of DVT?
  • How can doctors tell if I have DVT?
  • How do doctors treat DVT?
  • How can I prevent DVT?

• Varicose Veins
  • What are varicose veins?
  • What causes varicose veins?
  • What are the symptoms of varicose veins?
  • How can doctors tell if I have varicose veins?
  • How can doctors treat varicose veins?

Cardiomyopathy

• Cardiomyopathy
  • What is cardiomyopathy?
    • What are the types of cardiomyopathy?
  • What causes cardiomyopathy?
  • What are the symptoms of cardiomyopathy?
  • How can doctors tell if I have cardiomyopathy?
  • How do doctors treat cardiomyopathy?

High Blood Pressure

• High Blood Pressure
  • What is high blood pressure?
  • How is blood pressure measured?
  • How do doctors define high blood pressure?
  • What causes high blood pressure?
  • What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?
  • How can doctors tell if I have high blood pressure?
    • Tests to check for high blood pressure
    • Tests if you have high blood pressure
  • How do doctors treat high blood pressure?
    • Behavior changes
    • Medicine

Peripheral Arterial Disease

• Aneurysms of Arteries in the Arms, Legs, Heart, and Brain
  • What is an aneurysm?
  • What causes aneurysms?
  • What are the symptoms of an aneurysm?
  • How can doctors tell if I have an aneurysm?
  • How do doctors treat aneurysms?

• Peripheral Arterial Disease
  • What is peripheral arterial disease?
  • What causes peripheral arterial disease?
  • What increases the risk of peripheral arterial disease?
  • What are the symptoms of peripheral arterial disease?
  • How can doctors tell if I have peripheral arterial disease?
  • How do doctors treat peripheral arterial disease?
  • How can I prevent peripheral arterial disease?

• Raynaud Syndrome
  • What is Raynaud syndrome?
  • What causes Raynaud syndrome?
  • What are the symptoms of Raynaud syndrome?
  • How can doctors tell if I have Raynaud syndrome?
  • How do doctors treat Raynaud syndrome?

Low Blood Pressure and Shock

• Low Blood Pressure
  • What is low blood pressure?
  • How is blood pressure measured?
  • What causes low blood pressure?
  • What are the symptoms of low blood pressure?
  • How can doctors tell if I have low blood pressure?
  • How do doctors treat low blood pressure?

• Shock
  • What is shock?
  • What causes shock?
  • What are the symptoms of shock?
  • How can doctors tell if I am in shock?
  • How do doctors treat shock?

Sports and the Heart

• Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes
  • What causes sudden cardiac death in athletes?
  • What are the symptoms of sudden cardiac death?
  • How can doctors tell if I am at risk for sudden cardiac death?
  • How do doctors treat sudden cardiac death?

Abnormal Heart Rhythms

• Overview of Abnormal Heart Rhythms
  • What is an abnormal heart rhythm?
  • What controls my heart rhythm?
  • What causes abnormal heart rhythms?
  • What are the symptoms of an abnormal heart rhythm?
  • How can doctors tell if I have an abnormal heart rhythm?
  • How do doctors treat abnormal heart rhythms?

• Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter
  • What are atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter?
  • What causes atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter?
  • What are the symptoms of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter?
    • What are the complications of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter?
  • How can doctors tell if I have atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter?
  • How do doctors treat atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter?
    • What's an ablation procedure?

• Heart Blocks
  • What is a heart block?
  • What causes a heart block?
  • What are the types of heart block?
    • What's an atrioventricular (AV) block?
    • What's a bundle branch block?
  • What are the symptoms of a heart block?
  • How can doctors tell if I have a heart block?
  • How do doctors treat a heart block?

• Premature Beats
  • What are premature beats?
  • What causes premature beats?
  • What are the symptoms of premature beats?
  • How can doctors tell if I have premature beats?
  • How do doctors treat premature beats?

• Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT, PSVT)
  • What is paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)?
  • What causes SVT?
  • What are the symptoms of SVT?
  • How can doctors tell if I have SVT?
  • How do doctors treat SVT?
    • What's an ablation procedure?

• Ventricular Tachycardia
  • What is ventricular tachycardia?
  • What causes ventricular tachycardia?
  • What are the symptoms of ventricular tachycardia?
    • What are the complications of ventricular tachycardia?
  • How can doctors tell if I have ventricular tachycardia?
  • How do doctors treat ventricular tachycardia?

• Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Syndrome
  • What is Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome?
  • What are the symptoms of WPW syndrome?
  • How can doctors tell if I have WPW syndrome?
  • How do doctors treat WPW syndrome?
    • What's an ablation procedure?

Endocarditis

• Infective Endocarditis
  • What is infective endocarditis?
  • What causes infective endocarditis?
  • What are the symptoms of infective endocarditis?
  • How can doctors tell if I have infective endocarditis?
  • How do doctors treat infective endocarditis?
  • How can I prevent infective endocarditis?

Heart Valve Disorders

• Overview of Heart Valve Disorders
  • What are heart valves?
  • What are heart valve disorders?
  • What are the symptoms of heart valve disorders?
  • How can doctors tell if I have a heart valve disorder?
  • How do doctors treat heart valve disorders?

• Aortic Regurgitation
  • What is aortic regurgitation?
  • What causes aortic regurgitation?
  • What are the symptoms of aortic regurgitation?
  • How can doctors tell if I have aortic regurgitation?
  • How do doctors treat aortic regurgitation?

• Aortic Stenosis
  • What is aortic stenosis?
  • What causes aortic stenosis?
  • What are the symptoms of aortic stenosis?
  • How can doctors tell if I have aortic stenosis?
  • How do doctors treat aortic stenosis?

• Mitral Regurgitation
  • What is mitral regurgitation?
  • What are the causes of mitral regurgitation?
  • What are the symptoms of mitral regurgitation?
  • How can doctors tell if I have mitral regurgitation?
  • How do doctors treat mitral regurgitation?

• Mitral Stenosis
  • What is mitral stenosis?
  • What causes mitral stenosis?
  • What are symptoms of mitral stenosis?
  • How can doctors tell if I have mitral stenosis?
  • How do doctors treat mitral stenosis?

• Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP)
  • What is mitral valve prolapse?
  • What causes mitral valve prolapse?
  • What are the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse?
  • How can doctors tell if I have mitral valve prolapse?
  • How do doctors treat mitral valve prolapse?

Lymphatic Disorders

• Overview of the Lymphatic System
  • What is the lymphatic system?
    • What is the immune system?
  • What can go wrong with the lymphatic system?

• Swollen Lymph Nodes
  • What are swollen lymph nodes?
  • What causes swollen lymph nodes?
  • When should I see a doctor?
  • What will happen when I see the doctor?
  • How do doctors treat swollen lymph nodes?

• Lymphedema
  • What is lymphedema?
  • What causes lymphedema?
  • What are the symptoms of lymphedema?
  • How can doctors tell if I have lymphedema?
  • How do doctors treat lymphedema?

Pericardial Disease

• Overview of Pericardial Disease
  • What is the pericardium?
  • What disorders affect the pericardium?

• Acute Pericarditis
  • What is acute pericarditis?
  • What causes acute pericarditis?
  • What are the symptoms of acute pericarditis?
  • How can doctors tell if I have acute pericarditis?
  • How do doctors treat acute pericarditis?

Biology of the Heart and Blood Vessels

• Biology of the Heart
  • What is the heart?
  • How does the heart work?
    • What are the heart chambers?
    • What are heart valves for?
    • What is the heart's electrical system?
    • Why does the heart need blood vessels?
  • What can go wrong with the heart?

• Biology of the Blood Vessels
  • What are blood vessels?
  • What can go wrong with blood vessels?