As people age, many start to experience more aches and pains throughout their bodies. While many symptoms can be chalked up to the natural aging process, it\u2019s important to pay special attention to the cardiovascular system.<\/p>\n
\u201cHeart Month is a great time of year to remind people that not all symptoms are created equal when it comes to our cardiovascular health,\u201d says Vinayak Nagaraja, M.B.B.S., interventional cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Health System. \u201cIf you have any concerns about symptoms you may be experiencing, it\u2019s always a good idea to meet with your primary care provider to determine if you should be referred to a cardiologist.\u201d<\/p>\n
So what are some warning signs for underlying problems? Symptoms that suggest you may need a referral to a cardiologist include:<\/p>\n
Chest discomfort.<\/p>\n
Shortness of breath.<\/p>\n
Swelling in your legs.<\/p>\n
High blood pressure.<\/p>\n
Abnormally fast or slow heart rate.<\/p>\n
Dizziness or fainting.<\/p>\n
Strong family history of premature heart disease or cardiac death.<\/p>\n
Leg pain or ulcers resulting from blood vessel diseases.<\/p>\n
A cardiologist will evaluate your symptoms, review your medical history and may recommend diagnostic tests to appropriately diagnose the cause of your symptoms. The cardiologist also will help your healthcare team evaluate the best form of treatment for you.<\/p>\n
Your individualized treatment plan could include:<\/p>\n
Advice on diet and exercise changes<\/strong>: You can lower your risk of heart disease by eating a low-fat and low-sodium diet, getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol intake. Dr. Nagaraja recommends eating a Mediterranean diet and avoiding red meat as well as processed food. He also suggests practicing yoga and meditation.<\/p>\n Medications<\/strong>: If lifestyle changes alone aren\u2019t enough, your cardiologist may prescribe medications to control your condition. The type of medication you receive will depend on the type of heart condition and severity.<\/p>\n A cardiac procedure<\/strong>: If medications aren\u2019t enough, your cardiology care team may recommend specific procedures or surgery. The type of procedure or surgery will depend on the type of heart condition and the extent of the damage to your heart. (Mayo Clinic News Network)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As people age, many start to experience more aches and pains throughout their bodies. While…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-406043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=406043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406043\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=406043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=406043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=406043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}