Cardiology Specialist

What is cardiology?

Cardiology is a branch of internal medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of problems affecting your heart and blood vessels. Specialized cardiologists perform minimally invasive procedures, such as angioplasty, catheterizations, and inserting a stent or pacemaker. However, they’re not cardiac surgeons, so they don’t perform open-heart surgery.

What conditions does cardiology include?

Cardiovascular diseases make up a long list of possible conditions. These are a few examples:

• Coronary artery disease
• Peripheral artery disease
• Carotid artery disease
• Heart valve disease
• Heart arrhythmias
• Heart muscle disease
• Vascular disease

Vascular disease includes another large group of conditions, such as blood clots, carotid artery disease, and atherosclerosis.

Of all the different cardiovascular diseases, the most common condition is coronary artery disease.

What should I know about coronary artery disease?

Coronary artery disease develops when cholesterol attaches to the wall of an artery serving your heart, a condition called atherosclerosis. Over time, the cholesterol builds up and hardens, forming plaque that’s large enough to block blood flow through the artery.

Without enough blood, your heart muscles become damaged and weak. You may develop chest pain, but many patients don’t have symptoms until they have a heart attack.

What cardiology symptoms might I develop?

Your symptoms depend on the type of cardiovascular disease affecting your heart. Most heart conditions cause problems such as:

• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling of pressure in your chest

You may also experience symptoms like:

• Racing or fluttering heart or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias)
• Swollen legs (arrhythmias and congestive heart failure)
• Leg pain when walking (peripheral artery disease)
• Difficulty speaking and dizziness (carotid artery disease)

Keep in mind that this is only a partial list of potential symptoms. If you have any questions about symptoms you experience, call your Physicians Medical Group of San Jose physician today!

How do cardiologists diagnose and treat heart problems?

Physicians Medical Group of San Jose has extensive experience performing advanced diagnostic tests. Many cardiology conditions, however, are initially diagnosed with an electrocardiogram (EKG), echocardiogram, or stress test.

Your treatment depends on your diagnosis and the severity of your cardiovascular disease. For most patients, treatment begins with lifestyle changes such as eating a heart-healthy diet, getting exercise, and losing weight if necessary.

Your ongoing treatment may include medications to lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, prevent blood clots, or to support cardiovascular functioning. You may need an endovascular procedure to repair the underlying problem. Whether you need balloon angioplasty and stenting, a pacemaker, or other interventional treatments, you can count on the team at Physicians Medical Group of San Jose.

If you’re worried about chest pain or shortness of breath, call a member of the cardiology team at Physicians Medical Group of San Jose today.