- What is a cardiologist?
- How do I select a cardiologist?
- How do I know I need a cardiologist?
- Heart Attack Warning Signs
- Stroke Warning Signs
A cardiologist is a doctor who is highly skilled and trained to treat cardiovascular diseases. East Tennessee Heart Consultants has 41 cardiologists in 14 locations.
How do I select a cardiologist?
- Credentialing. It's important that your cardiologist is board-certified. Board-certification demonstrates that your doctor has received excellent training and passed a specific comprehensive medical exam. This is a nationally recognized designation that sets and maintains high standards of patient care. Every physician at East Tennessee Heart Consultants is board-certified.
- Experience. As in every profession, the more experience the better. The cardiologists at ETHC have extensive experience as seen by the number of patients treated by the doctors. ETHC has over 100,000 patients. Last year, the doctors performed over 9,000 heart catheterizations and over 3,000 stenting procedures.
- Range of service. East Tennessee Heart Consultants offers a wide range of service to meet your cardiac needs. The services include prevention and non-invasive diagnostic testing (such as stress tests and nuclear tests), invasive cardiac catheterization, drug therapy, interventional cardiology, peripheral vascular disease, cardiac pacing, implanting defibrillators, radio-frequency ablation and electrophysiology.
- Research. Clinical research is an indication of the practice's support of discovering new treatment options for patients and the continued improvement of current treatment options. Trials allow patients to participate in their health care. In the past two years, East Tennessee Heart Consultants has participated in more than 30 clinical research trials. For more information about current clinical trials please contact Beth Maynard at 673-4179 or Beth.Maynard@ethc.com.
How do I know I need a cardiologist?
Often times you will have some warning signs that your heart is not functioning at its optimal level. Some of these signs include shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue and sense that your heart isn't beating correctly. Also, if you have diabetes you should see a cardiologist. If you experience any of these signs, or have diabetes or a family history of heart disease or stroke, contact a physician. Only a trained health care provider can properly diagnosis your situation.
Heart Attack Warning Signs
(From the American Heart Association: www.americanheart.org)
If you, or someone you are with, are experiencing these signs seek care IMMEDIATELY.
- Chest Discomfort - pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body - one or both arms, neck, jaw or back pain
- Shortness of breath
- Other signs - nausea, cold sweats or lightheadedness
Stroke Warning Signs
(From the American Heart Association: www.americanheart.org)
If you, or someone you are with, are experiencing these signs seek care IMMEDIATELY.
- Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, neck, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, disorientation, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking or balancing, dizziness
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
