Tag: EKG

Is It Possible To Have A Heart Attack And Not Know It

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Heart attack, or myocardial infarction, is the leading cause of death in the United States. Recent studies have confirmed that sometimes people do unknowingly have a mild heart attack. These “silent heart attacks” can lead to serious heart muscle weakness. In fact, one-in-four heart attacks may not produce any of the normal symptoms someone would associate with heart problems. In most instances, the silent heart attack isn’t life-threatening but could still cause slight damage to the heart muscles or arteries leading to the heart.

Unhealthy activities such as smoking, drinking excessive alcohol, lack of exercise and drugs often lead to issues that can cause heart attacks. High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity are also contributors to an unhealthy heart and potentially lead to heart attack. If you live with any of the contributing factors for heart attack or heart disease, you should undergo screening for potential heart problems.

Heart Attack or Something Else?

Tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing accompanied by pain or numbness in the left arm could be symptoms of a very serious heart attack. They could also be symptoms of indigestion or acid reflux. Symptoms lasting more than five minutes could indicate a serious heart problem. No one can force you to call 9-1-1 if you suffer from any of these symptoms. However, it is highly recommended that if you feel you’ve had a heart attack, you should go to the doctor and have an EKG.

Heart Attack Prevention

Even if you’ve already experienced a heart attack, there are measures to help prevent future attacks. Obesity is one of the leading causes of heart disease and heart attack. Weight loss and exercise can dramatically decrease the risk of heart attack. Dieting, exercise and weight loss are not often easy life choices to make. Lifestyle changes are the most critical factors in surviving or preventing heart attacks. Some changes may include:

1. Blood thinning medications such as aspirin. Aspirin thins the blood and makes it less likely to clot. Blood clots cause heart attacks. Reducing the potential for clotting reduces the likelihood of heart attack. If you have already experienced heart attack, your physician may prescribe an anti-clotting drug that will help open narrowed arteries.

2. Beta blockers. By lowering heart rate and blood pressure, beta blockers reduce strain and demand on the heart itself. Many patients who have already suffered a heart attack must take beta blockers for the rest of their lives.

3. Diet and exercise. If you’ve never experienced a heart attack, diet and exercise could be the best prevention. Eating a heart-healthy diet and exercising about 30 minutes per day can strengthen the heart muscle and help maintain cleaner arteries. Obesity adds many contributing factors to heart problems. Weight loss brings with it reduced cholesterol and blood pressure, which also reduces the potential for heart attack.

4. Reduce stress. Stress is one of the leading causes of heart attack. Learn to manage your stress by reducing your workload and finding ways to minimize stress in your day-to-day activities will go a long way in preventing heart attack.

Canine Heart Disease and Congestive Heart Failure in Dogs

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This can be due to a change in your dog’s heart valves and their function or a number of other possible causes. There may be an abnormal communication better the left and the right side of your pup’s heart and this can lead to your dog having a heart murmur. There may be a variety of reasons for this. They may either be acquired or congenital. This usually means that the heart was affected after your pooch was born due to disease or age. There are two types of heart murmurs in dogs. The first is what is called a benign heart murmur and does not concern your dog’s health. On the other hand, it may be a serious heart murmur which may indicate congestive heart failure in dogs.

Dog heart murmur symptoms may involve the following: bluish tinge to the gums or tongue, poor exercise ability, coughing, labored breathing and even fainting. Some of these symptoms would suggest that your pup may have other health issues. However, the symptoms are similar between benign heart murmurs and those that are more severe in nature. If you are at all concerned about your canine’s health, you should consult your veterinarian. A couple of these symptoms may be overlooked which would include poor exercise ability and a bluish tinge to the gums. If you think that your dog has any dog heart murmur symptoms, canine heart disease or the development of congestive heart failure, immediately contact your vet for a positive diagnosis.

These are symptoms that indicate that something serious is going on with your dog’s health. The best way to identify the source and severity of the dog’s heart murmur is to conduct a thorough physical examination by a veterinarian, however sometimes additional testing is needed including a heart ultrasound, blood testing, an EKG and chest x-rays. The ultrasound offers a particularly enticing list of benefits because it allows your veterinarian to measure the extent of the murmur, defining whatever the cause of the underlying heart disease may be. It is vital that you be able to properly diagnose the cause of your dog’s heart condition because some conditions that cause heart murmurs are treatable, either through surgery or through medication.

If your canine has a congenital heart murmur, then surgery may be necessary. On the other hand, you may have to give your pooch certain types of medication as non-congenital heart murmurs are often an underlying symptom of congestive heart failure in dogs. You will not be sure exactly what to do until you have consulted with the right veterinarian and have been given advice as to your dog’s health. You should not leave symptoms like these unchecked due to the fact that not every heart murmur is benign and there could be serious changes occurring in your dog’s heart.

It is very important that you share any questions or concerns with your vet especially when it comes to your pooch’s lifestyle and physical condition. If the diagnosis from your general veterinarian does not suit you, perhaps you should seek out a specialist for your dog. You could either go to an internist or a veterinary cardiologist. These vets have specialized training and they probably have a great deal of expertise in this field and other issues that you may have with your dog.

How To Deal With Dog Heart Disease

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This can be caused by a change in the heart valves and their function, or a number of other potential causes. Dog heart murmur symptoms may be caused by an abnormal communication between the left side and the right side of the heart. There are a number of things that may cause this, as they may be congenital or present from birth, or acquired which means the heart was affected after birth because of age or disease. There are two types of heart murmurs in dogs, benign murmurs which do not concern the health of the dog, and much more serious heart murmurs which may indicate the development of congestive heart failure in dogs.

Dog heart murmur symptoms may involve the following: bluish tinge to the gums or tongue, poor exercise ability, coughing, labored breathing and even fainting. Some of these symptoms would suggest that your pup may have other health issues. However, the symptoms are similar between benign heart murmurs and those that are more severe in nature. If you are at all concerned about your canine’s health, you should consult your veterinarian. A couple of these symptoms may be overlooked which would include poor exercise ability and a bluish tinge to the gums. If you think that your dog has any dog heart murmur symptoms, canine heart disease or the development of congestive heart failure, immediately contact your vet for a positive diagnosis.

These are symptoms that indicate that something serious is going on with your dog’s health. The best way to identify the source and severity of the dog’s heart murmur is to conduct a thorough physical examination by a veterinarian, however sometimes additional testing is needed including a heart ultrasound, blood testing, an EKG and chest x-rays. The ultrasound offers a particularly enticing list of benefits because it allows your veterinarian to measure the extent of the murmur, defining whatever the cause of the underlying heart disease may be. It is vital that you be able to properly diagnose the cause of your dog’s heart condition because some conditions that cause heart murmurs are treatable, either through surgery or through medication.

If your canine has a congenital heart murmur, then surgery may be necessary. On the other hand, you may have to give your pooch certain types of medication as non-congenital heart murmurs are often an underlying symptom of congestive heart failure in dogs. You will not be sure exactly what to do until you have consulted with the right veterinarian and have been given advice as to your dog’s health. You should not leave symptoms like these unchecked due to the fact that not every heart murmur is benign and there could be serious changes occurring in your dog’s heart.

It is vital to share any concerns or questions that you may have with your veterinarian especially when it comes to your dog’s physical condition and lifestyle. If you are not comfortable with a diagnosis from your general veterinarian, you should consider seeking out a specialist for your dog. You could either go to a veterinary cardiologist or an internist. These vets have specialized training and probably have vast experience in these problems and other issues that your dog may have.

Life-saving Devices For Heart Issues

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People that suffer from heart disease or heart irregularities, benefit from the following three unique technological inventions that have saved thousands of lives.

The Artificial Pacemaker: In the late nineteenth century, a scientist discovered the benefits of applying electrical currents to the heart. Several decades later, the first implantable pacemaker was created. Today, pacemakers vary in complexity and application, with some pacemakers doubling as defibrillators. If you suffer from heart disease or irregularities, it is important that the people close to you are trained at CPR, but having a pacemaker helps to maintain a regular heartbeat.

An Alert System: The AngelMed Guardian System is also an implantable device, but rather than send electrical currents through the heart, it merely alerts its wearer if he or she is about to suffer a heart attack, so that trained medical specialists, such as an EKG technician, can attend to the patient. The device also tracks and stores information about the heart that can then be shared with the wearer’s physician.

Wearable Defibrillator: Designed for people at high risk for sudden cardiac arrest, wearable defibrillator vests transmit a shock at the first moment of cardiac arrest. Like the alert systems, the vests also record ECG information about the heart, to be shared with physicians and trained medical technicians. Wearable defibrillators keep patients safe when there are no trained professionals nearby, and provide a sense of security for high-risk patients.

All about medical exams

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When it comes to writing insurance policies, the decision is all about risk. Based on what you tell the insurer, the actuaries estimate the chances you will have an accident the next time you drive, or that your home will be flattened by a tornado, or that you will catch the H1N1 brand of influenza. It’s the most scientific form of gambling our society has been able to develop. If all the sums work out right, you are protected financially should any of the risks occur and the insurer will make a profit. So when it comes to insuring your life, the actuary needs to call in different professionals. Although you may give completely honest answers to questions about your own health and the health of your immediately family, there are many things you do not know. Sometimes, families are not honest with each other when it comes to health problems. Sometimes, you may not have been to see a doctor recently and so be unaware your own health is less than good. To protect everyone, a medical examination will usually be a condition when the amount of cover requested is high, or you are older, or you admit possible health problems.

Some insurance companies employ paramedicals who can bring a mobile service to your home or office. Others will give you the name of a specific doctor or a clinic and wait for you to make an appointment. Note that, almost without exception, when something more than a token amount of insurance has been requested, no reference will be made to your regular doctor. The insurers only accept evidence from independent medical personnel.

Let’s say you are still young and there are no untoward signs in your own or your family’s history. The exam is likely to be fairly straightforward, going through lists of questions about your current health and lifestyle. In this remember you may be tested to ensure your answers about not smoking and no abuse of drugs are truthful. If you appear heavier than you admitted on the proposal form, there may be more tests for diabetes and other diseases that can affect the overweight. If you have admitted to health problems, the tests can be fairly intensive if you are older and asking for significant amounts of cover. This is not just measuring pulse rate and blood pressure. You can find yourself supplying a range of samples, submitting to an EKG and getting up on a treadmill to prove lung capacity, stamina and a healthy heart. Only those who pass with flying colors will be offered the larger amount in cover.

In one sense, the whole experience of a medical exam is something of a deterrent. It takes up time and can be intrusive. Yet we have to advise you to go through several exams. The reason is simple. Life insurance companies approach risk assessment in slightly different ways. What some may consider significant is more routine to others. To get the best deal, you have to get as many offers as possible. This means being prepared to go through as many medical exams as it takes. Only when you have all the offered life insurance policies in your hands can you judge which one represents the best deal for you and your family.

High Prevalence Of Heart Disease Expands Job Opportunities For Technicians

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Heart disease has become widespread in the United States because of the increasing rate of chronic medical conditions related to a poor diet and the lack of routine exercise. Diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure negatively affect the ability of vital organs to function and can result in debilitating illnesses and even death. The poor health behaviors of the general public along with an increase in the size of the population and the number of Baby Boomers now entering retirement has created a spike in demand for cardiac care services. Because many healthcare facilities lack the advanced personnel and resources needed to meet the current demand, many administrators have begun hiring unlicensed technicians to perform many of the routine tasks associated with the provision of daily care. This trend has created many new job opportunities for EKG technicians as well as those who are working in other specialties.

The heart is one of the most important organs contained within the human body because of its role in circulating blood through the vast network of vessels that supply oxygen to tissues and transport waste to organs that specialize in filtration and excretion. Like all other organs, the heart requires oxygen to survive and must have a healthy network of vessels that supply it with the nutrients it needs. Individuals who suffer from clogged cardiac arteries are highly susceptible to developing heart attacks and may even die if a severe cardiac event occurs. Many of these patients must receive regular treatments in a cardiac unit in order to ensure that their heart remains functional. An EKG technician is someone who works under the supervision of a registered nurse or licensed physician and whose job it is to carry out the basic tasks associated with the delivery of care to heart disease patients.

Some of the most common responsibilities that an EKG technician has include vital sign collection, medical history documentation, procedure preparation, electrocardiogram administration, telemetry, Holter monitoring, new technician training, and a variety of administrative tasks. The contributions of the technician to the patient care team is very important because it allows advanced medical personnel to spend their time evaluating new patients, developing treatment plans, and managing cases that involve complex heart diseases. Without the technician, access to cardiac care would become severely limited and many patients would not receive the life-saving treatment that they need. For this reason, many facilities have begun hiring more technicians to help manage the growing demand for care.

In general, the technician may only perform patient care tasks that are considered routine and that have a predictable outcome. Responsibilities that require advanced medical knowledge, judgment, or skill must be carried out by the nurse or physician and can never be delegated to the technician under any circumstances. The nurse or physician must evaluate a task before delegation to ensure that it has very little chance of jeopardizing the health and safety of patients and they must provide supervision as the technician is performing the task. These requirements are designed to protect patients and to ensure that the interests of medical personnel are preserved in cases of negligence. Most healthcare facilities have policies and procedures that determine how a task may be delegated and the steps that must be taken prior to assigning a responsibility to an unlicensed member of the team.

The fact that the EKG technician is an unlicensed member of the medical team means that most states do not regulate the profession. Employers often set their own education, training, and certification requirements for new technicians. While some employers will consider hiring individuals who have only a high school diploma or GED, they generally prefer those who have at least a two-year college degree and prior patient care experience. Those who do not possess formal credentials may still be able to secure employment after completing a training program provided by the hiring institution and successfully passing a nationally recognized certification exam. Direct contact with potential employers is the best way to ensure that their expectations are being met.

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