Which is better for Heart problem? (thyroid, blood, heart rate, symptoms)
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which is better a Cardiologist
or
a Internal Medicine Dr. with sub-specialties of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease?
Abnormal ECG.
Cardiologist by far. They specialize in this field. I had an abnormal EKG recently too! I was referred by my primary to the cardiologist and he mentioned something about the "wiring" in my anatomic structure...or something but not to worry!just the genetic makeup of my cardiovascular system! He said he saw no impending heart attack!!! but just to appease him and get a stress test *(the kind on the treadmill)....and an ultrasound of the heart.
Do you have any symptoms? have high cholesterol? I have nothing and cholesterol is perfect!
Cardiologist by far. They specialize in this field. I had an abnormal EKG recently too! I was referred by my primary to the cardiologist and he mentioned something about the "wiring" in my anatomic structure...or something but not to worry!just the genetic makeup of my cardiovascular system!
He said he saw no impending heart attack!!! but just to appease him and get a stress test *(the kind on the treadmill)....and an ultrasound of the heart.
Do you have any symptoms? have high cholesterol? I have nothing and cholesterol is perfect!
Good luck and let us know how you do..
Cholesterol great!
Hypertension which has started all this last year. They did a ECG last year and was fine a few days ago ECG was abnormal.
So are sending me to a Internal Med Dr with the cardiology/cardiovascular disease sub specialties.
Which I don't know if I like I was also thinking a cardiologist would be better but really know nothing about these sort of Dr.'s.
Hypothyroid/Hashimots's/Pernicious anemia also maybe a bit over my ideal weight but am very active. Eat pretty healthy, 45 yrs old.
I am also finding in the last year particularly getting red faced doing things that are not exertive to me at all.
It's not always necessary to see a cardiologist for an abnormal ECG. Many 'abnormalities' are just normal variants and are absolutely harmless. Most internists are easily able to see what is and is not in need of further investigation and/or referral.
And cardiologists do not have three year fellowships: like the other medicine sub-specialties, it's a two year cardiology fellowship. The third year is optional.
It's not always necessary to see a cardiologist for an abnormal ECG. Many 'abnormalities' are just normal variants and are absolutely harmless. Most internists are easily able to see what is and is not in need of further investigation and/or referral.
And cardiologists do not have three year fellowships: like the other medicine sub-specialties, it's a two year cardiology fellowship. The third year is optional.
I didn't have a choice. My primary gave me a script to go see the cardiologist... Yes, I think that is what the consult with the cardiologist said, something with normal variants.... but can you explain what you mean by the variants??? I am curious.
ECGs are not 'one size fits all.' There are normal variations that can look a little strange if one isn't used to seeing them. If your heart faces a little more toward your back, rather than your chest, this can change the amplitude of the polarization and depolarization waves, for example. But it's normal for someone with a heart that's a bit turned and doesn't mean anything.
The internist will make the call. It depends on why the ECG is abnormal. If it doesn't seem like a serious issue, the internist can begin treatment but if there could be a serious, underlying cause, you'll be sent to a cardiologist.
This just happened to me. I had a bad day Friday -- dizziness, palpitations, etc. I went to the walk-in clinic. I have Lupus and am already being treated for arrhythmia. The internist did an ECG, blood work and other tests and he called me Sunday morning when the test results came in. He's sending me ASAP to a cardiologist even though my labs came back good. The ECG showed my arrhythmia and my heart rate is very low (bradycardia) -- that and the fact that I have Lupus worried him. He called some cardiologists and got me an appointment for Thursday.
It's not always necessary to see a cardiologist for an abnormal ECG. Many 'abnormalities' are just normal variants and are absolutely harmless. Most internists are easily able to see what is and is not in need of further investigation and/or referral.
And cardiologists do not have three year fellowships: like the other medicine sub-specialties, it's a two year cardiology fellowship. The third year is optional.
My informal survey of several cardiology colleagues tells me they all did 3 years prior to taking the board exam....
And I know quite a few who took their boards after two years and then decided to continue into the third year. As I said: it's OPTIONAL.
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