4 Medical Tests To Diagnose Heart Diseases

Any medical issue that affects your heart comes under the umbrella of heart disease. From blood vessel diseases to heart rhythm problems, there are numerous heart-related diseases that need medical attention at the earliest. You can visit a heart hospital in Hyderabad and get a heart disease diagnosis done and seek the best medical care.

Cardiovascular diseases are often confused with heart diseases. While cardiovascular diseases only include issues pertaining to blocked blood vessels that may lead to other serious implications like a heart attack or a stroke, heart diseases, on the other hand, constitute heart conditions affecting the heart's muscles or valves besides general illnesses of the heart.

If you suspect any heart disease, you would require immediate medical attention. The primary process leading to the treatment is diagnosis. Heart specialists perform certain tests to diagnose the type of heart disease you are suffering from.

Before performing heart disease diagnosis tests, your doctor will conduct a physical examination besides asking you a few general questions about your medical history along with your family’s. Heart specialists also perform general blood tests and chest X-rays to get deeper into the intricacies of certain heart conditions and suggest the best treatment plans for the same.

Specific diagnostic tests your doctor will perform:

Here are some of the specific diagnostic tests for the heart:

• Electrocardiogram (ECG): Using an Electrocardiogram, your doctor will be able to spot the anomalies happening in the rhythm and structure of the heart. ECG for the heart is done by measuring the electrical motion of the heart. It’s non-invasive and painless. During the procedure, the specialist puts two electrodes on the chest of the patient and measures the electrical activity. The recording is displayed on the connected machine.
• Echocardiogram: An echocardiogram is performed using sound waves. With the help of sound waves, images are created on the screen that tells your doctor how your heart beats and pumps blood. In this way, your doctor can speedily detect your heart disease.
• Stress test: Doctors perform stress tests to diagnose heart diseases like coronary artery disease and heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias). Also known as an exercise stress test, a stress test is done to check how your heart works when you indulge in physical activities. Since the heart beats faster when you undertake physical exercise, any blockage or issue with the blood flow can be easily detected in this state.
• Cardiac catheterization: In cardiac catheterization, a catheter is inserted inside the artery or vein located in the groin or neck area. From there it travels to your heart and helps your doctor detect any underlying heart issues including narrowing or blockage of the blood vessels. It can also help in the hemodynamic assessment.
• Blood tests: When there is damage to your muscles, like during a heart attack, your body releases specific substances into your bloodstream. Blood tests can detect these substances and indicate the extent of the damage to your heart muscle. Blood tests are also performed to assess various other substances in your blood, such as cholesterol, triglycerides, vitamins, and minerals. To conduct the blood test, a sample is taken from a vein in your arm. The sample is sent to a laboratory for analysis, and the results are later explained to you by your doctor.
• Coronary angiogram: Coronary angiogram is a test that helps find blockages in the heart's arteries. A doctor puts a flexible tube (catheter) into a blood vessel, usually in the groin or wrist, and moves it to the heart. Then they inject a dye through the catheter into the heart's arteries. This dye makes the arteries show up clearly in X-ray pictures and videos.
• Myocardial biopsy: Myocardial biopsy is a test where a doctor takes tiny bits of the heart muscle for checking. This helps diagnose specific heart muscle problems that can lead to heart failure.
• Ejection fraction: Ejection fraction is a way to measure how much blood your heart pumps out with each squeeze. Doctors check this during an echocardiogram test. The result helps them figure out the type of heart failure you have and how to treat it. An ejection fraction of 50% or more is good, but you can still have heart issues even if it's that high.
• CT scan of the heart: A CT scan of the heart, also known as a cardiac CT scan, uses X-rays to make detailed pictures of the heart from different angles.

Whether you are undergoing a simple heart procedure like angioplasty or even a heart transplant in Hyderabad, the above-mentioned heart related tests are conducted by your heart care specialist as a part of the treatment. Having certain know-how will help you keep your anxiety levels down and be comfortable during the procedure.