What questions should you ask your doctor about your heart?
- Am I at risk of heart problems?
- What should my normal blood pressure be?
- How do I keep my heart healthy?
- What tests are you prescribing?
- How does my cholesterol affect my heart?
- What symptoms should I watch out for?
- Do I require heart surgery?
- What treatments are available?
- How is my condition likely to progress?
When you see your doctor, it pays to be prepared. This includes knowing your symptoms, medications, and questions to ask him or her. In this article, we’ll tackle the questions to ask your doctor about your heart that you can bring up with a general practitioner or, in the case of more specific or complex questions, a cardiologist or heart surgeon.
Whatever you’re concerned about, once you have a chance to ask your doctor about it, don’t waste the opportunity. Their answers may very well affect your lifestyle and condition.
For general checkups
These are questions you can ask a general practitioner during your regular checkup. It’s up to your discretion when to ask, but it’s best to ask at least once. This will give you a better understanding of your overall health and what measures you need to take to keep your heart healthy and in good condition.
Am I at risk of heart problems?
This is an essential question, and it is best asked while or right after your doctor asks about your medical history.
Your doctor may ask questions about your or your family’s history of heart issues to determine the answer to your question. They will consider conditions like heart disease, stroke, and other concerns, and guide prevention.
What should my normal blood pressure be?
This is another crucial thing to ask. If you take your blood pressure at home (and it pays to do so, especially if you have a history of heart conditions), you’ll want to know what your ideal range should be, so you’ll know that something is amiss when your blood pressure is outside of that range.
How do I keep my heart healthy?
This is a question you can ask a general practitioner, but it’s also a good one to bring up with a cardiologist.
Keeping your heart healthy usually involves paying attention to your lifestyle and diet and incorporating healthy habits like exercise and better sleep. All these things have additional benefits to the rest of your body as well, so you’d do well to follow your doctor’s recommendations.
For consultations with your cardiologist
Consultations with your cardiologist are important to maintain a healthy heart and manage any heart-related conditions. During these appointments, you can discuss symptoms, receive guidance on lifestyle changes, and review your medical history.
To see a doctor about the state of your heart, go to Perpetual Help Medical Center – Las Pinas, one of the best hospitals in Las Pinas today. Our heart surgeons and cardiologists are some of the best in the world, experts whose patient outcomes are at par with those of top hospitals in the country.
Here are some questions to ask your cardiologist to ensure you receive the best care for your heart.
What tests are you prescribing?
Sometimes, a cardiologist might recommend tests like angiograms, electrocardiograms, or the like. If a cardiologist recommends some tests, it’s only natural to ask questions. The usual ones include how to prepare for the tests, what the tests are for, and what to expect.
How does my cholesterol affect my heart?
Cholesterol is important because it affects your blood pressure and raises your risk for heart disease and stroke. Besides this, there are several cholesterol facts your cardiologist would be happy to tell you about. Ask them also about the effects of bad cholesterol and how to avoid it.
What symptoms should I watch out for?
Finally, it’s always important to ask your cardiologist what symptoms to watch out for when it comes to your heart. Since they are the experts, they should be able to give you more insight than, for example, a Google search.
You can ask them further questions about the symptoms as well, like what they indicate and what to do once you experience them.
For more severe heart conditions
If you’re dealing with more severe heart conditions, you’ll need specialized care and attention. Whether it’s a complex procedure or ongoing treatment, it’s essential to have a team of experts who can guide you through the process. In this section, we’ll explore some important considerations and questions to ask when dealing with severe heart conditions.
Do I require heart surgery?
Heart surgery is a treatment done for severe cases, but if you already have a pressing condition, you might benefit from it if the need arises. Ask your cardiologist if heart surgery is necessary, or if other treatments are available to you.
What treatments are available?
Once you’ve asked your cardiologist about the other treatments available, you can have them expound. Ask them about the expected prognosis of the treatments, how to prepare for the other treatments, and which one they would recommend for your specific case.
How is my condition likely to progress?
Finally, most doctors have an idea already how illnesses and conditions will progress after treatment. So don’t be hesitant to ask your cardiologist or heart surgeon what their prognosis is—how they expect your condition to progress, and what you can do to make it better.
Key Takeaway
In this article, we discussed some questions to ask your doctor about your heart that you can bring up the next time you have a checkup with your general practitioner, cardiologist, or surgeon. We hope these questions will help you make more informed decisions about your lifestyle and health.
Additionally, our dedicated Heart and Vascular Institute has the most advanced facilities in the country for performing open heart surgery and dealing with heart-related issues. Contact us about your concern, and we’ll get back to you soon!