Cardiology is a medical specialty, a specialized branch of internal medicine concerned with cardiovascular diseases.
Most cardiologists deal with preventive examinations and treatments, as well as with the follow-up of chronic cardiovascular diseases, but there are cardiologists who take care of acute cardiovascular emergencies.
Dr Csaba Pap, having two specialist medical degrees, is a specialist in internal medicine and cardiology at Panoráma Polyclinic.
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When should you consult a cardiologist?
When you know or feel that you have a heart problem, you should certainly see a cardiologist.
This is especially the case when we notice:
- dizziness
- irregular and/or strong heartbeat
- chronic chest pain
- high blood pressure.
In these cases, the cardiologist, with the help of various targeted examinations, determines if there is anything wrong with the heart or the vascular system, and if so, what problem causes the symptoms. Such problems can be for example abnormal heart sounds or irregular heartbeats.
Private cardiology practice also plays a significant role in the rehabilitation therapies after a heart attack or a stroke, during which it is very important that the patient get psychological help besides physical treatment.
To cope with the various heart diseases, the completion of the cardiac treatment with a regular psychological therapy is an important issue – this can improve both physical and mental health.
What happens in the course of a cardiovascular examination?
During the cardiovascular examination, the specialist will first listen to the patient’s complaints. In the case of an annual routine check-up, there are usually fewer complaints. Nevertheless, most of the patients often see our private cardiology practice by expressing some specific problems, like dizziness due to high blood pressure or chest pain.
After hearing the patient’s complaints, the cardiology specialist first carries out a physical examination. During this check-up, the doctor examines the patient’s body for any visible changes. In addition, the specialist applies a stethoscope to ’listen’ to the heart sounds.
After the completion of the basic check-up, a further examination will be performed in each case: the cardiologist will evaluate the heart function with an ECG unit and observe whether there is any abnormal cardiac activity.
The ECG examination is followed by a heart ultrasound check-up, in which the cardiology specialist scans the heart in motion during its function with the help of an up-to-date ultrasound device. The device is also suitable for measuring the size of the heart ventricles and atria, the nature of the heart muscle and the characteristics of heart function. On the basis of the collected information, the cardiologist can usually determine whether there is a problem with the heart – and if so, what its nature is.
At the end of the cardiology examination, the cardiologist tells the patient the therapy suggestion, taking into consideration the complaints and the results of the examinations.
The specialist may prescribe a cardiovascular medication and depending on the patient’s condition, may suggest a laboratory check-up or additional cardiovascular diagnostic tests.
Should the cardiology specialist also suspect psychological reasons behind the complaints, he or she may recommend psychotherapeutic treatment. Psychotherapists and specialists of our clinic work in close cooperation, so that physical and mental healing can be ensured in a coordinated way. The outcome is a more lasting and improved quality healing.
Cardiovascular examinations available in our practice
A number of cardiovascular diagnostic tests are available in our well equipped practice, either within the framework of a cardiology specialist examination or apart.
Cardiovascular examinations at Panoráma Polyclinic
Ultrasound scan of the heart (ECHO cardiogram). The purpose of this ultrasound examination is to assess the shape, function and effectiveness of the heart. The scan is indispensable in the modern cardiology diagnostics and it is therefore involved in all our cardiovascular specialist examinations. On special request, of course, the scan can be executed without a specialist examination too.
Resting ECG. The significance of the resting ECG test is to examine the patient’s heart function and heart rhythm in a peaceful atmosphere – that is, the electrical signals generated by the heart. During the examination, electrodes are fixed to different parts of the body that measure the activity of the heart and convert into a chart for the examining cardiology specialist. On the basis of the chart, the specialist can draw valuable conclusions about the condition of the heart.
24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). The purpose of the 24-hour blood pressure monitoring is to measure blood pressure every 15 to 30 minutes for a prolonged period of time. This is particularly useful for those who suffer from blood pressure fluctuations. The device must be worn both day and night for 24 hours. The test clears up with high accuracy if someone has high or low blood pressure over a longer period of time, or if they suffer from blood pressure fluctuations.
Holter monitor test (24-hour ECG).
The essence of the Holter monitor test is to monitor the electrical signals generated by the heart for 24 hours. This is particularly important if we face a problem with our heart that cannot be purposely affected, so it is possible that the real problem with our heart will not be noticed during a cardiovascular examination. By the 24-hour monitoring with the help of the device, the cardiology specialist can detect even small, obscure problems.
For what symptoms is it recommended to see a cardiology specialist?
It is very important to recognize for what symptoms you should see your cardiologist and for what symptoms you need an immediate emergency care.
Symptoms which require immediate emergency care include the following (multiple symptoms may often occur at the same time):
- sudden serious numbness and loss of sensation
- rapid development of shorthess of breath
- sudden severe chest pain
- sudden serious jaw, neck and back pain
- unexpected outbreak of pain or discomfort in one or both arms or shoulders
If you experience any of the above symptoms, call the ambulance as a suspicion of a heart attack cannot be ruled out!
More often it comes to light that the problem is not serious, however it is worth contacting our private cardiologist for treatment available in a short time.
These symptoms include the following:
- constant chest pain or a simultaneous discomfort feeling
- persistent suffocation, difficult breathing
- long lasting strong heartbeat which is disturbing the patient
- cardiac dysrhythmias
- decline of load capacity
- swelling and wetting of the limbs
- dry and slight coughing, sudden outbreak of dizziness, fainting
Major diseases related to the domain of cardiology
The most common cardiovascular diseases that are also treated in our clinic are the following:
- high blood pressure (hypertension)
- dysrhythmia
- angina
- arteriosclerosis (coronary artery disease)
- rehabilitation after a stroke
- rehabilitation after a heart attack
At Panoráma Polyclinic, the private cardiology practice is run by Dr Csaba Pap, internist-cardiologist. In addition to his cardiology work, he also teaches medical candidates at two universities as visiting lecturer. Besides the application of professional protocols, he pays special attention to reveal the emotional and spiritual causes of the disease and to the patients’ individual treatment as well, in order to achieve success in the therapy.
We propose that our patients request the 24-hour Holter (ECG) monitoring test, the 24-hour ABPM (blood pressure monitoring) test or the resting ECG examination in the days prior to the specialist consultation, so that during the meeting with the patient the specialist can also evaluate the already available test results.
Appointment for these tests can be booked separately via our online booking system through the following link:
ABPM, Holter, resting ECG tests
Appointment
Book an appointment online!
You can get your booking in our calendar.
