Heart doctors, also known as cardiologists, are medical professionals who can prevent, diagnose, and treat a wide range of problems related to the heart and the blood vessels. Learning about the most commonly occurring heart conditions taken care of by a heart doctor can help us understand the importance of keeping our heart in good health and how to avoid developing any heart condition.
Heart doctors often see patients who present symptoms indicating a cardiac issue. Some of these symptoms include shortness of breath, dizziness, abnormal heart rhythms, sudden intense chest pain, and high blood pressure. This blog provides information on common heart conditions that heart doctors treat.
The article contains information and insights shared by Dr. Sujay Shad, a top heart surgeon in Delhi at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
Heart Conditions Commonly Addressed By Heart Doctors/Cardiologists
1. Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
Hypertension is not a disease in itself but it is a heart condition that when left untreated can increase one’s risk of developing serious heart conditions including heart stroke, heart attack, and coronary heart disease. Serious heart conditions happen because of some degree of damage caused to blood vessels over time.
When blood vessels get damaged, they become weak and can cause aneurysm to form. An aneurysm can burst and cause death. Hypertension also makes the heart work harder which further causes heart muscles to become thicker and the blood pumping process to be more difficult.
A heart doctor prescribes blood pressure-lowering medications and suggests some lifestyle modifications to treat moderate to severe hypertension.
2. Elevated cholesterol/ Atherosclerosis
Blood contains good and bad cholesterol- a wax-like substance. If there is an excess of bad cholesterol in the blood, it can lead to a build-up of plaque along the wall of the arteries. Over time this can result in a condition called atherosclerosis which is characterised by restricted blood flow in the arteries. This is the common cause of a heart attack.
A heart doctor orders tests to see if there is any blockage in the heart and along with other medical specialists plans out the treatment. If there is a mild elevation in bad cholesterol, a heart doctor may prescribe drugs to lower cholesterol. In severe cases, if there is a blockage, a heart doctor performs cardiac surgery or other procedures. This includes angioplasty and stent placement, endarterectomy, fibrinolytic therapy, and coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
3. Heart rhythm problems
There is an electrical system within the heart muscles that helps stimulate the heartbeat. If the electrical signals coordinating the heartbeat get interrupted or disrupted, heart beating rhythms get abnormal. The heart can beat too quickly (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), and/or irregularly (arrhythmia).
If heart rhythm problems are causing significant symptoms or increasing the chance of experiencing serious heart problems, a heart doctor needs to be consulted. A heart doctor can treat such problems with medications, and therapies like cardioversion, vagal maneuvers, catheter procedures; or heart surgery.
4. Angina
Angina is pain or discomfort felt in the chest and radiating to the jaw, neck, stomach, or arms. It occurs because of the narrowing of the blood arteries causing restricted blood flow to the heart. It is not an illness in itself, but rather a symptom of coronary artery disease. Some people have stable angina as they know how much physical activity can lead to an angina attack. Unstable angina is an undiagnosed pain in the chest or sudden aggravation of existing angina. It is a serious condition that calls for immediate medical attention by a heart doctor.
A heart doctor can treat angina by prescribing antiplatelet medications to prevent blood clots from forming and angioplasty with stenting to improve blood supply to the heart.
5. Coronary heart disease
Coronary heart disease is a common cardiovascular condition caused when the coronary arteries become narrow or obstructed and cannot supply enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart. It can result in angina and/or heart attack. A heart doctor can treat coronary artery disease by some medications or by performing heart surgeries like coronary angioplasty and stent placement and coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
6. Valve disease
Hearts have valves that function to regulate the flow of blood through the heart in the forward direction. If there are problems in valve functioning, the blood plumping will get hard and there will be strain on the heart muscles. There are three kinds of heart valve diseases: regurgitation, stenosis, and atresia. A heart doctor can help treat valve diseases with some medications or through heart valve repair/replacement surgery.
7. Heart attack (Myocardial infarction)
A heart attack happens because of a complete stoppage of the blood supply to a part of the heart muscles. Commonly, this is the result of breaking off a portion of a fatty material or a blood clot formation in the coronary artery. A heart doctor can help urgently fix the blood and restore normal oxygen levels within the body. A heart surgery or procedure is performed by a heart doctor to open the blocked artery. Some prescription medications can even help.
8. Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest is a sudden stoppage of the beating of the heart because of the complete loss of electrical activity of the heart. Without prompt treatment, sudden cardiac arrest can be fatal. In such a case, a heart doctor can provide emergency treatments like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and shocks to the heart using a device called an automated external defibrillator (AED). A heart surgery can also be performed to place a pacemaker device or to remove a blockage in heart arteries.
9. Heart failure
When the heart is not pumping normally and the heart muscles are not able to meet the body’s demand for blood and oxygen, it’s called the failure of the heart. Depending upon its cause, a heart doctor can treat heart failure. The treatment options include a combination of prescription medications and surgeries or other procedures such as coronary bypass surgery, heart valve repair or replacement surgery, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, cardiac resynchronization therapy, ventricular assist device, and heart transplantation (in case of severe heart failure). For further details on heart failure treatments and their management, you can contact Dr. Sujay Shad, the best cardiac surgeon in Delhi.
10. Congenital heart conditions
Congenital heart conditions are an outcome of defects in the heart structure present at birth. Some of the heart defects are life-threatening. A heart doctor can treat congenital heart defects depending on their type and severity. The treatment options include cardiac catheterization or surgeries to repair heart and blood vessels.
If you're encountering the symptoms described above and want to seek further information on methods and therapies to promote a healthy heart, consider scheduling a consultation with Dr. Sujay Shad, a renowned cardiologist and heart surgeon at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi. Dr. Shad is a highly skilled heart surgeon who has successfully conducted numerous life-saving heart surgeries. Don't hesitate, reach out for a consultation today to learn more!
