ECG

An ElectroCardio Gram is a non-invasive, pain free test that monitors the elecrical currents that cause your heart to beat. It can detect irregularities in your heart rythm that will help the doctor to diagnose any problems. An ECG or EKG can detect:

• Irregularities in your heart rhythm
• Heart defects
• Problems with your heart's valves
• Blocked or narrowed arteries in your heart
• A heart attack, in emergency situations
• A previous heart attack

During an ECG/EKG small electrodes are taped to your chest which read the electrical signals of your heart. The signals are shown as waves on an attached computer screen or printer. ECG's can be read immediately or studied (as they are extensive) and referred to throughout your treatment.

8 common diagnostic tests for the Heart #3

C-reactive protein test

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a normal protein that appears in high amounts in the blood when there is swelling somewhere in the body.

Often, doctors may check your CRP after surgery or after treatment for infections. It is thought that you would have a higher level of CRP if your coronary arteries were narrowed. This test cannot tell your doctor exactly where there is swelling only that swelling is present.

According to the American Heart Associate a CRP test would not be useful if are (once again) in the low or high risk for heart attack as it would not indicate a change in treatment either way. The CRP test can be helpful in aiding diagnosis in intermediate risk patients.

8 common  diagnostic tests for the Heart

·         Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) a

·         Heart scan (coronary calcium scan) a

·         C-reactive protein test

·         Stress test 

·         Nuclear stress test

·         Positron emission tomography (PET) scan

·         SPECT scan

·         Blood tests for heart disease

8 common diagnostic tests for the Heart #2

Yesterday we described the Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) as a non-invasive test that measures the electrical impulses of the heart.

There are a total of 8 tests that doctors normally prescribe to diagnose problems of the heart.

8 common  diagnostic tests for the Heart

·         Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) a

·         Heart scan (coronary calcium scan)

·         C-reactive protein test

·         Stress test 

·         Nuclear stress test

·         Positron emission tomography (PET) scan

·         SPECT scan

·         Blood tests for heart disease

Today we will continue our study with the Heart Scan.

The Heart Scan or Coronary Calcium scan provides pictures of the coronary arteries. Doctors use these heart scans to look for calcium deposits that can narrow your coronary arteries and increase your risk of heart disease.

Heart Scans are not for everyone, though. According to The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, if you and your doctor already know that you are either at a low or high risk for a heart attack, a Heart Scan is not going to tell you anything that you  do not already know. The Heart Scan is helpful, however, in diagnosing people that are in the intermediate range. The test will show if there is an unusual amount of Calcium deposits in the arteries, and where they would be.

Heart Scans are often used if you have vague symptoms and other test results have been inconclusive in determining heart disease.

Pregnant women should not have the Heart Scan since the X-ray technology utilizes EBTC (electron beam computerized tomography) which has the equivalent of 33 chest X-rays.

For more information:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-scan/MY00327

During a heart attack, tissue in your heart muscle dies due to lack of blood flow through your hearts arteries. This is how doctors are allowed to determine if you have had a heart attack in the past.
The severity and number of heart attacks will damage your heart irrepairably. As much as your heart can survive a heart attack, the damage tissue will remain.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/medical/IM00938

(A). The plaques build over time (B) and eventually completely block your arteries and rupture (C), causing a heart attack. Damage tissue dies and your heart remains scarred(D).

Electric Heart Rythm

Your heart has electrical wiring, which keeps it beating. Electrical impulses begin high in the right atrium and travel through specialized pathways to the ventricles, delivering the signal to pump.
The conduction system keeps your heart beating in a coordinated and normal rhythm, which in turn keeps blood circulating. The continuous exchange of oxygen-rich blood with oxygen-poor blood is what keeps you alive.
The primary purpose for circulation is to provide fresh blood and nutrients to the rest of the body. The lungs are a vital part of the circulatory system as they are used to expel carbon dioxide a deadly toxin.