Monthly Archives: June 2017

  ⁄    2017  ⁄    June
risk

High Cholesterol – Risk Factors & Effects on Heart

Lifestyle

If you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can combine with other substances in the blood and stick to the walls of your arteries. Cholesterol, in combination with other blood substances that sticks to your arteries, is called plaque. Plaque can continue to build up in your arteries, making them narrow or even block them.

High cholesterol levels in the blood can increase your risk of developing a heart disease. If you have high cholesterol, you won’t be having any signs or symptoms as there are no signs that tell that you have high blood cholesterol. You will have to undergo a blood test to know cholesterol levels in your blood. If you have decreased blood flow in the heart, then an expert doctor would certainly suggest you to get an echocardiogram done. If you are looking to get an echocardiogram checkup in Jaipur, you can visit Jaipur Heart and Multispeciality Centre that is equipped with state-of-the-art cath labs, facilities and a core team of heart specialists to provide the best course of treatment for heart ailments.

Factors that Affect Cholesterol Levels in the Body –

There are many factors that can affect cholesterol levels in your body. Here are the important ones –

  • Age – Cholesterol levels in the body are known to rise after 20 years of age
  • Overweight – If you are overweight or obese, you may be having higher bad cholesterol levels
  • No physical activity – Not exercising may lower good cholesterol levels
  • Family history – If your family members have or had high cholesterol, you may also suffer from it
  • Food habits – Eating too much saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol can raise your cholesterol levels
  • Smoke- If you smoke you may be at a higher risk of increasing your cholesterol levels

Effects of High Cholesterol Level on the Heart

  • Coronary Artery Disease

    Coronary Artery Disease or CAD is the most common heart disease. The condition occurs when arteries which supply blood to muscles of the heart become hardened and narrowed due to the buildup of plaque on their inner walls.

  • Stroke

    High plaque buildup can lead to reduced or complete cut off of blood supply to an important part of the brain; this is called a stroke.

  • Heart Attack

    Plaque buildup in the arteries that supply blood to the heart is called atherosclerosis. In due course of time, a piece of the plaque can break off and a blood clot can form around it. This clot can block blood flow to the heart muscle and deprive it of oxygen and nutrient, leading to a heart attack.

Exercise more and eat healthy, to lower your cholesterol levels. If required, consult a cardiac specialist and take proper medicine.

holter

When and Why You Need a Holter Checkup

Holter Monitoring

Holter Checkup, sometimes also called ambulatory electrocardiography, is a continuous 24 hour monitoringthat helps record your heart’s rhythm and rate. The patient is made to wear aHolter monitor for a period of time ranging between 12 and 48 hours, while they go about their normal daily routine.

The Holter monitor is a battery-powered medical device that can be worn under one’s clothes, to measurethe heart’s activity, such as the rate and rhythm. This device has electrodes leading out exactly like it is in a regular electrocardiogram (EKG), but it has fewer number of leads. Apart from picking up your regular heart rate and rhythm, it can also sense and recordwhen you exhibit an irregular heartbeat or feel chest pains.

Therefore, your doctor may ask you to take up a Holter Checkup in Jaipur (or anywhere else depending on your city of residence) when they need more information about your heart’s functions. Moreover you might be asked to carry a Holter Monitor in the following instances –

  • If you have symptoms of a heart problem including irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia and when you experience unexplained fainting.
  • If you have a heart condition that may increase your risk of experiencing an abnormal heartbeat, your doctor may suggest a Holter checkup, even if you don’t have any direct symptoms of arrhythmia.
  • An electrocardiogram is not able to detect the heart’s irregularity accurately sometimes, and that’s when your doctor may recommend that you wear a Holter monitor for a day or two.
  • If your doctor suspects that you are at risk of future heart problems after a pre-existing/ genetic condition or a recent heart attack.

Signs of Heart Problem That Might Need a Holter Monitor Detection

  • Fast, fluttering or pounding heartbeat
  • Too slow, too fast, or otherwise irregular heartbeat
  • Excessive tiredness, shortness of breath or dizziness
  • Chest pain not caused by an exercise test

While wearing Holter monitor, you’ll be asked to keep a note of all your daily activities in a diary. Your doctor can compare the written data from that recorded by the Holter monitor, which can help diagnose your condition.If you experience any of the above mentioned symptoms, you might need to get a Holter Checkup in Jaipur. Theexpert team of cardiologists at the Jaipur Heart & Multispeciality Centre can help you determine heart problems and provide a course of action for its prevention.

Habits to Take Up for a Healthy Heart

Habits to Take Up for a Healthy Heart

Cardiologist

A large part of the world is affected by a variety of heart diseases, many of which have the potential to be fatal. Some of these ailments develop overtime, and have wrong lifestyles or habits to blame for their occurrence.

As per the best cardiologists in Jaipur Heart and Multispeciality Centre, taking up healthy habits, for instance, maintaining proper diet can actually be the answer to addressing many cardiovascular issues. Here are a few habits that you can inculcate in your lives to make your heart healthy and strong –

Stress Management

Complex lifestyles and increasing stress levels have pushed the number of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases to a good many. Chronic stress leads to a rise in stress hormone production, thus increasing the chances of cardiac arrest. Hence, managing the stress level is one of the first things you should get to.

Diet Control

Oily, spicy or unhealthy food contains a high amount of trans fat, and can prove dangerous for you. This fat tends to clog the arteries of your heart and raise the bad cholesterol level. To keep your heart healthy and going, it is important that you cutdown on the sugary, oil and fat-laden food from your diet. Go through the ingredient list the next time you buy an eatable.

Keeping a Check on Smoking and Liquor Intake

The more cigarettes you smoke in a day, the higher is the possibility of suffering from a heart disease. Alcohols contain calories. This can not only lead to an increase in your weight but also the blood pressure. Therefore, you must always try to limit and gradually stop such ill habits which put your health at risk.

Stay Active

An inactive life coupled with a work routine where you have to stay glued to a chairfor long periods can adversely affect your posture, and can lead to many heart diseases. Activity not only kills boredom, but also boosts your mood. The best cardiologists in Jaipur Heart and Multispeciality Centre recommend that even if your work needs you to sit at a place for long, try taking quick, short breaks. You can also try out some light, exercise when you get time, like during the weekends.

Prioritize, take out a little time, and exercise your body in whatever way you can, and you’ll see how active you feel throughout the course of the day.

What You Need to Know About Coronary Heart Disease

What You Need to Know About Coronary Heart Disease

Heart Treatment

Heart diseases can affect people regardless of age or gender. In India, the incidences of heart diseases remain high, with coronary heart disease (CHD) being one of the most common conditions prevalent. This disease is a result of plaque formation in the arteries and can lead to a number of other conditions like stroke.

The arteries in our bodies start out as smooth and elastic, but can get a buildup of plaque on the inner walls. This makes the arteries more rigid and narrower, and can restrict the blood flow to the heart. This leads to lesser oxygen reaching the heart and a chance for the plaque to rupture, leading to heart attacks or cardiac death. That is why it is ideal to opt for regular heart checkup at a heart hospital in Jaipur to be in the know-how about your heart’s health.

The Symptoms

The most common symptom of CHD is angina (chest pain), which can easily be mistaken for indigestion or heartburn. While angina is usually felt in the chest, it may affect other body parts like the left shoulder, jaw, arms, neck and back as well. Some other symptoms of CHD include: –

  • Short breath
  • Palpitations
  • Fast heartbeat
  • Weakness
  • Nausea
  • Excessive sweating

Treatment

The most common treatment paths that can be followed after the diagnosis of CHD include:-

Lifestyle changes

A lot of little changes can make a big difference. For example, you will need to quit smoking, avoid processed foods, go for a low fat, salt, and sugar diet, keep the blood sugar in control, and exercise regularly (get a doctor approved exercise plan).

Medications

Sometimes lifestyle changes are not enough and you might require medication. What exactly is prescribed to you will depend on the situation of your CHD.

Surgery and procedures

Balloon angioplasty, stent placement, and coronary artery bypass surgery are the most common surgeries and procedures that are conducted on CHD patients to relieve the condition.

While these methods and procedures improve the supply of blood to your heart, they cannot cure coronary heart disease completely. They do however; significantly lower the chances of more heart diseases.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and eating habits is very important to avoid a number of heart conditions, and it is equally important to opt for regular heart checkups at a heart hospital in Jaipur, for keeping a tab on your heart’s health.

ECG Tests – Before, During and After

ECG Tests – Before, During and After

ECG

In this fast evolving world where medical facilities and provisions keep adding up, an ECG or electrocardiogram test is not unheard of. Recommended to people with risk factors regarding heart ailments such as high blood pressure, chest pain or palpitation, an ECG registers the electrical activity of the heart.

As per specialists in ECG Test in Bani Park, Jaipur, the electrical activity of the heart is presented as line tracings on paper and consists of dips and spikes known as waves. By keeping an account of the rate and rhythm of the heart, an ECG test can reveal heart enlargements due to hypertension and symptoms of myocardial infarction. It also helps detect any unusual activity in the heart implants and whether or not heart medicationis proving effective.

To make you understand the concept of ECG better, here’s an outlook of things before, during and after ECG: –

Before ECG

Before taking up ECG, you need to prepare yourself for the test. Although it is a totally safe procedure, there are a few things that you can take care of. This involves informing your doctor about your complete medical history, the problems you face and the supplements you are taking, as some can affect the result of your ECG test.

During the Test

To begin with the test procedures, the arms, legs and chest region of the patient’s body are shaved clean, followed by the attachment of several electrodes to those areas. These electrodes are in turn attached to a machine that graphicallytraces the electrical activities of the heart. While taking the test, the patient is expected to keep still. He/she may further be asked to control the breathing for an infinitesimal amount of time by the doctor. The test usually extends up to 10 or 15 minutes.

After the Test

Since the processes involved in an ECG test are not complex or surgical, you will be discharged on the same day you take the test. After the test, you can freely resume your regular activities. Specialists conducting ECG test in Bani Park, Jaipur further add that a follow up diagnostic test will be suggested by your doctor in case of abnormalities in the result.