Periodic health checks are very important to anticipate certain diseases. Periodic checks are not only carried out for people who are old, but for young people, especially those with a lifestyle that often consumes unhealthy foods. One type of examination that must be routinely carried out is a Cardiac Examination
The Importance of Checking Yourself to a Cardiologist.
Health checks are not just for diagnosing disorders after symptoms appear. It is an attempt to prevent more serious health problems from occurring.
For someone who has regular medical check-ups, doctors are more likely to get an early diagnosis and contribute to a longer life span.
For adults, depending on age, the doctor will recommend a schedule of health checks that include regular physical exams
The type of routine health checkup varies with age, and will depend on your personal and family medical history, and whether you have certain risk factors for disease
The important purpose of periodic health checks is to reduce risk factors, early detection of cardiovascular disease and prevent worsening.
So, risks and disorders of the heart can be detected early, and appropriate treatment can be done immediately. Age 65 or over. Have excess body weight. Have a history of high cholesterol, hypertension, or diabetes
Did you know that cardiovascular disease or heart disease is the number one cause of death in the world? According to WHO, in 2016 there were 17.6 million deaths from heart disease worldwide. Cardiovascular disease is a group of heart disorders, one of which is Coronary Heart Disease (CHD).
What is Coronary Heart Disease?
According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health, coronary heart disease is a heart disease caused by a lack of blood supply to the heart due to narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries. In Indonesia, the number of patients diagnosed by a doctor is 1.5%.
In addition to a physical examination, the doctor requires several supporting examinations, such as:
- Electrocardiography (EKG). Know the picture of the heart's electrical activity, detect enlarged heart chambers, and heart rhythm disturbances.
- Chest X-ray photo
- Treadmills
- Holters
- Cardiac catheterization
- Cardiac MSCT
If you have an abnormal heartbeat, have a history of fainting and are frequently dizzy, your doctor may recommend Holter Monitoring so that you can correlate these symptoms with the rhythm of your heartbeat. This test makes it possible to detect transient (only occasional, not continuous) heart rhythm disturbances.
Transient arrhythmias are often not detected on a routine cardiac record (ECG) examination, for example palpitations that only appear occasionally but are annoying, often they do not appear on the EKG examination, with a Holter examination, the electrical activity of the heart can be recorded for a full 24 hours or longer.
The cardiologist may recommend Holter Monitoring for you to monitor the electrical activity of the heart during normal activities or after a heart attack. Holter monitoring also allows cardiologists to diagnose any heart rhythm abnormalities (including serious arrhythmias), and monitor the effects of heart medications given. This tool is also useful for monitoring the rhythm of your heartbeat after undergoing a heart surgery procedure to determine whether the operation was successful.
Article written by dr. Heri Hernawan, Sp. JP FIHA (Cardiologist & Vascular Specialist at EMC Hospital Tangerang).