Cardiac Services at Wise Health System can diagnose and treat a wide range of heart conditions and diseases.
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular and unusually rapid heart rate that can come and go in episodes or can be chronic. This condition causes poor blood flow to the body.
Heart palpations feeling, racing heart, or sometimes lightheadedness.
Aortic valve regurgitation or aortic valve insufficiency occurs when the heart’s aortic valve doesn’t close tightly, allowing blood that is already been pumped to leak back in.
These conditions do not allow your heart to efficiently pump blood to the rest of your body and may lead to fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling of ankles and feet, chest pain, irregular pulse, heart murmur, and heart palpitations.
Aortic valve stenosis is when the heart’s aortic valve becomes narrow and obstructs blood flow from your heart to the rest of your body. Because the valve is not able to open fully, the heart has to work harder for your body to get the blood needed.
The over-exertion resulting from aortic valve stenosis leads to fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, heart palpitations, heart murmurs, and chest pain. This condition could lead to heart failure, so consult your doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.
Cardiac arrest is the sudden loss of heart function when the heart’s electrical system (how the heart knows what to do) malfunctions due to arrhythmias (abnormal or irregular heart rhythms). CPR and use of a defibrillator may be able to reverse a cardiac arrest if performed within minutes of the heart stopping.
Cardiac arrest can result from a heart attack. Symptoms of a heart attack typically include chest or other upper body discomfort and shortness of breath.
Cardiogenic shock happens when your heart suddenly can’t pump enough blood for your body and is usually caused by a heart attack. Though it is a rare condition, it is important to catch and treat cardiogenic shock early. If you have cardiogenic shock, you may experience rapid breathing, shortness of breath, rapid heart beat, confusion, fainting, weak pulse, sweating, pale skin, cold hands or feet, urinating less than normal or not at all.
Because cardiogenic shock and severe heart attacks are linked, it is important to know the signs of a heart attack. During a heart attack you may notice pressure in the center of your chest, pain that could extend to your chest, shoulder, arm, teeth and jaw, shortness of breath, pain in the upper abdomen, fainting, nausea and vomiting. If you have these signs or symptoms, seek medical attention quickly to decrease your chances of developing cardiogenic shock and increase your chance of survival.
Chest Pain
Chest pain can be anything from a sharp stab to an ache, or a crushing or burning sensation. There are many things that can cause chest pain, the most concerning are those that involve the heart or lungs.
Because there are many medical conditions that can cause chest pain, it is important to seek immediate medical attention if you feel tightness in your chest, pain from your chest to your back, neck, jaw, shoulders and arms, pain that comes back in spurts of a few minutes at a time, shortness of breath, sweating, lightheadedness, or nausea.
Heart Attack/STEMI
STEMI stands for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, which is a type of heart attack that occurs when one of the arteries that supply oxygen is blocked.
Every second counts, so if you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, anxiety, sweating, palpitations, and nausea/vomiting you need to seek medical attention immediately.
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) occurs when built up cholesterol causes the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle to become narrowed and hardened. The decreased blood flow means the heart can’t get the blood or oxygen it needs to function properly. This condition can weaken the heart and lead to heart failure and arrhythmias.
Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, or a heart attack. If you think you might be having a heart attack, call 911 immediately.
If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or obesity, you may be at risk for CAD and should talk to your doctor.
Heart blocks occur when the electrical signals from the SA node (located at the top right atrium of the heart) to the AV node (which is used to send electrical signals to the part of the heart responsible for pumping) are too slow. So, a heart block doesn’t mean that the blood is being blocked, rather a block/lack of clear communication between these parts of the heart.
If you have been told you have a heart block, consult your provider or a healthcare professional for more information.
Heart failure means that your heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs. This condition can be ongoing (chronic) or start suddenly (acute).
Symptoms for chronic heart failure include: fatigue, swelling of legs, ankles and feet, shortness of breath, rapid/irregular heartbeat, persistent cough/wheezing with white/pink blood-tinged phlegm, sudden weight gain from fluid retention, lack of appetite, nausea and difficulty concentrating
Symptoms of acute heart failure include: Chest pain (if failure is caused by heart attack), sudden fluid buildup, heart palpitations (irregular heartbeat), sudden shortness of breath and coughing up pink mucus.
If you have any of these signs or symptoms, you should seek medical attention.
Mitral valve regurgitation occurs when the heart’s mitral valve doesn’t close tightly, allowing the blood to flow back into your heart.
The condition does not allow your heart to efficiently pump blood to the rest of your body and may lead to heart murmur, heart palpitations, fatigue, light-headedness, shortness of breath, excessive urination, and coughing.
Mitral valve stenosis is the narrowing of the mitral valve opening that restricts blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle (main chamber of the heart responsible for pumping). This condition is usually a result of rheumatic fever (a childhood illness from untreated strep throat/scarlet fever).
Symptoms include: fatigue, shortness of breath, swollen feet or ankles, heart palpitations, coughing (sometimes with blood-tinged phlegm), and in some circumstances, chest pain.