Welcome to the Bellin Health Heart Blog
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Welcome to the Bellin Health Heart Blog. My name is Kelly Galler and I am a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner, specializing in cardiovascular disease. To learn more about me, please read my bio. I’ll post information here on a regular basis about heart health, cardiac care and other related subjects.
I heard once that we should always start at the beginning and finish at the end. So, when we are talking about heart disease, the beginning is probably the definition of heart disease. Do you know what I mean when I say, “heart disease?”
I am sure a lot of you have some idea about what heart disease is. If you looked up the definition on the web, you’d find information like this:
On www.dictionary.com, heart disease is defined as any condition of the heart that impairs its functioning.
On www.wikipedia.org, you’d learn heart disease is an umbrella term for a number of different diseases affecting the heart. As of 2007, it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, killing one person every 34 seconds in the United States alone.
Wow, heart disease sounds awful -- and it is. These definitions are exactly right; heart disease encompasses a broad spectrum of topics. And we can talk about all these things on this blog.
Future heart disease topics may include disease prevalence and statistics, risk factors, prevention, treatment and an array of related topics.
If at any time you would like more information about a topic or have any questions, you can click on the “Ask Kelly” icon, and send me a question, comment or a thought. I have a whole team of experts who are willing to help me answer your questions to the best of our ability.
You can also post a comment or question right here on the blog. Just go to the end of this section and click on add new comment. Watch for responses to your comments and view other readers’ comments as well. This is going to be a great learning opportunity for us all.
Look for regular updates and new topics. Please feel free to suggest topics too. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
Kelly
MSN, GNP, APNP
I still don't understand when
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2009-04-07 16:43.I still don't understand when it is time to go to the hospital with chest pains. How do you describe how bad they are? I have been getting chest pains off and on for a couple of years and my doctor knows about this. But he does not know that I have had some recently. I'm confused because my mother (78) years old has been in the hospital a couple of times and they have not found any problems with her just a rapid heart beat. My father died at 52 (heart attack). I am 53 this year. He had one when he was 42 also. I have only had a blockage found last year in one of my eyes, but test showed that everything else is good with my arteries. So today at work I was have chest pains and they went up thru my neck. But I did not know what to do. They lasted for about a 1/2 hour. I have felt some tightness a couple of times since then. We have nurses here at work if it happens again on Tues. I will go and check with them.
You bring up an issue which
Submitted by Kelly Galler on Wed, 2009-04-08 08:33.You bring up an issue which is difficult for a lot of people: How do I know when this pain, chest pain, is really my heart vs. acid reflux or something else.
My best advise to you, is to always err on the side of caution. The bottom line is, you should not be having pain. So you and your doctor need to know what is causing your pain and try to find a resolution to it. Always get your symptoms checked out. From what I know about you so far, you have a family history of heart disease and you sure don't want to have a heart attack.
1. Call you doctor about these symtoms
2. Always have them checked out by the nurse at work
3. Make sure you know your risk factors and keep them under control
4. Think about going through the Heart Attack Risk Assessment (see posting with Dr. Rider)
5. Consider a calcium screening test
6. Make sure you have had a baseline EKG done
7. Discuss a stress test with your physician
8. email me if you have more specific questions or would like to discuss seeing a cardiologist
Thanks,
Kelly
Thanks mate . bolly
Submitted by hery (not verified) on Mon, 2009-07-13 14:59.Thanks mate .
bolly