Roles of a Cardiologist


There are many issues that affect the human race health wise. This has led to the need of getting specialists trained in all areas so as to handle all issues that may arise. You may have issues with your blood vessels, the cardiovascular system and even the heart. When such issues arise, then you need to see a cardiologist at once.

A cardiologist is able to handle different conditions and they include hypertension, coronary heart disease, heart murmurs and even heart attacks. The cardiologist needs to practice preventive medicine, treat heart diseases and also give a diagnosis of the same when there is a need to. The cardiologist may also be required to perform surgical procedures, even though they are limited to the minor ones.

Preventive medicine

Heart problems are usually chronic and they may be around for a very long time. This is why the cardiologist works so hard at the preventive medicine so as to neutralize and eventually reverse progression of disease. The cardiologist has to conduct a physical examination as well as an interview of the patient so as to establish their condition and also predict if there may be issues with the heart. There is also a need to prescribe some form of medication for patients and also give advice on lifestyle so as to ensure the heart health of the patient is sustained and improved.

Diagnostic testing

The main tool that a cardiologist uses is the echocardiogram abbreviated as ECG. This allows the cardiologist to know whether the heart health of the patient is fine or not. It is the role of the cardiologist to interpret the results as seen. He should also interpret other results conducted on the urine and blood of the patient. The stress test is also conducted and then reviewed. Cardiac catheterization tests are also conducted to establish how the heart is functioning.

Electrophysiology

This is a cardiology specialty and it focuses mainly on treating any disorders related to the rhythm of your heart. The cardiologists implant a pacemaker into a patient by doing a surgical procedure that is quite brief. Electrophysiology includes electronic defibrillation, which essentially gives a shock to the heart so as to help it restart it to have a regular heart rhythm.

Other roles

Just like the regular doctors, cardiologist needs to spend some hours doing some administrative work. This includes the updating and maintenance of the records for all patients and also the preparation and submission of the insurance forms.

The other thing to note is the fact that cardiology is a very complex field and it keeps on evolving. It is therefore a requirement that cardiologist keep up with the development which can be only achieved through continued training and education.

When you are looking for the best cardiologist, you need to do some bit of research. Get to know the kinds of experiences that other people have had at the hands of a cardiologist so as to be able to gauge whether they are the best choice for you.


Source by Shalini Madhav