Premier Medical Associates Has Cardiologists on Staff in Central Florida
What is Cardiology?
Cardiology Clinics help with treatment of disorders of the heart and the blood vessels. A person with heart disease or cardiovascular disease may be referred to a cardiologist.
Cardiology is a branch of internal medicine. Cardiology is not the same as a cardiac surgeon. A cardiac surgeon opens the chest and performs heart surgery. A cardiologist will carry out tests, and they may perform some procedures, such as heart catheterizations, angioplasty, or inserting a pacemaker.
Who is an Ideal Patient for Cardiology Services?
Since cardiologists are specialist doctors, you may not visit them for consultations as often as you visit a primary healthcare provider. You may visit a cardiologist in the following situations:
- Your primary care physician refers you to a cardiologist.
- Family history of cardiovascular diseases (health conditions related to the heart and blood vessels).
- Chest pain.
- High cholesterol.
- High blood pressure.
- History of high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia).
- Inborn heart diseases.
- Smoking.
- Palpitations.
- Low blood pressure.
What is the Benefit of a Good Cardiologist?
Receiving treatment from a cardiologist or other heart specialist offers several advantages over treatment from a general practitioner or internist. Some of these advantages include:
More specialized knowledge
All doctors must attend four years of medical school in order to become licensed. However, to become a cardiologist, a doctor must complete six to eight additional years of training. During this time, the cardiologist gains specialized knowledge that allows him or her to provide more effective treatment.
More relevant experience
Cardiologists treat patients with heart problems every day. As a result, they gain specialized experience in the field that helps them to diagnose and treat problems more accurately.
Access to necessary equipment
While general practitioners may not have immediate access to the equipment needed to examine a patient’s heart thoroughly, many cardiologists have this equipment in their offices. This allows the cardiologist to perform testing quickly. Some of the tests a cardiologist may be able to perform include electrocardiograms, ultrasounds, stress tests and more.
Collaboration with other specialists
Cardiologists often have connections with other heart specialists, such as surgeons. Because of these connections, the cardiologist can seek advice when necessary, and he or she can refer you to another specialist quickly if you are in need of additional treatment.