Heart diseases are catching fire as they are growing rapidly because of a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diets. There are various different methods to monitor the functioning of hearts. These heart check-ups assist doctors in selecting a suitable treatment and medications to keep the heart-healthy.
1. MRI
It is a harmless diagnostic tool that captures 3D and 2D images of the heart and its surrounding blood vessels with the help of magnetic fields and radio waves. The images help the doctor to get an idea of heart structure and blood supply. Sometimes, colored dyes are used to make the pictures clearer.
2. Angiogram
Doctors perform angiograms after a heart attack or angina. In this X-ray procedure, they insert a tube (catheter) through the groin, arm, or wrist and guide it to the heart’s coronary artery. After injecting a colored dye through the tube, they take X-ray images to identify any arterial blockages and assess how effectively the heart is pumping blood.
3. CT scan
Doctors recommend that individuals experiencing unexplained cardiac symptoms undergo a coronary computed tomography (CT) scan. This scan affirms or negates the patient’s susceptibility to coronary heart disease.
4. Nuclear cardiac stress test
Also called a myocardial perfusion scintigraphy scan, this test evaluates how the heart functions. Doctors inject a radioactive tracer, thallium, into the bloodstream and use a specialized camera to detect it and produce images. They monitor the patient’s heart during both normal and exercise activities while capturing these images. Thallium cannot move to parts with low blood supply and thus the images reveal the condition of the heart and its vessels.
5. Echocardiogram (Echo)
It is an ultrasound of heart that checks the working of valves, contracting, and relaxing of heart and size of the heart with the help of sound waves. It is a non- invasive technique that portrays live images of the heart on a video screen.
6. Electrocardiogram (ECG)
ECG is the most widely used technique to monitor the heart rate. It is an electrical means to record the opening and closing of heart valves that produce a heartbeat. Electrodes are stuck on arms, legs, and hearts to catch a heartbeat and producing it on a paper. ECG has no proven effects on humans.
7. Blood test
Blood tests are conducted to reveal the levels of components of blood like sugars, vitamins, calcium, hormones, phosphates, lipids, etc. In the case of heart disease, blood tests reveal the presence of molecules realized after the heart attack which can help in estimating the intensity of the problem. They are also conducted before starting a new medication regime or to monitor the effectiveness of ongoing treatment for a heart patient.
8. EP (Electrophysiology) study
EP is similar to an angiography. It monitors the working of the heart, valves, and pulses with help of tubes inserted inside veins which stimulate the heart and record its activity. They are suggested by doctors during palpitations or abnormal heart rhythms.
9. Tilt test
When a patient complains about dizziness or fainting then it can be signs of a weak heart. In this test, the patient’s heart rate and blood pressure is monitored while he is sitting and standing.
10. Blood pressure
Blood pressure keeps on fluctuating throughout the day. If these fluctuations move further away from the ideal blood pressure (90/60mmHg – 120/80mmHg) then it indicates a problem with the supply of blood that might arise from the heart. A full heart check-up facility has been introduced by many diagnostic centers. Before visiting any lab, you can compare heart scan costs online to choose a more suitable lab. Regular health check-ups are important and can help to monitor your overall health.