What are the heart scans

Written By The HealthMeth Team - Updated On Friday, February 26, 2021 5:00 PM

the heart

Heart disease is classified among the main causes of death, [1] In fact, heart disease includes many types, the most prominent of which are the following: [2]

  • Coronary Artery Diseases, and it occurs as a result of narrowing or blockage in one of the arteries of the heart, and these diseases are the most common cause of heart attacks or strokes, and angina
  • Heart failure , which is a dangerous condition that results from the weakness or damage of the heart that it becomes unable to perform its work sufficiently for the body's need.
  • Diseases related to an abnormal heart rhythm or heart rate known as heart arrhythmia.
  • Diseases related to the structural heart of the heart, including abnormal imbalances in the structure of the heart, such as valves, muscles, and walls of the heart, as well as the blood vessels adjacent to the heart.


Heart checks

The importance of early diagnosis of heart disease lies in increasing its treatment opportunities and controlling the disease and its symptoms, and heart examinations or heart tests allow the possibility of diagnosing the disease and may provide identification of the causes that led to its occurrence, and the specialist doctor depends in choosing the appropriate examinations and tests on several factors, such as the symptoms that he suffers. The patient, his medical history, and the risk factors that increase his risk of contracting the disease, [3] and the following are a detailed statement of the most prominent tests and examinations related to heart health:


blood pressure

Blood pressure is a measure of great medical importance for checking heart health. The doctor, nurse or health care provider can measure it, and its result is recorded in two readings: [4]

  • Systolic blood pressure: , represented by the top figure in the readings, and reflects the emerging pressure inside the blood vessels constrict the heart and prints pump blood towards the arteries.
  • Diastolic blood pressure: It is the reading that expresses the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart is filled with blood, and is represented by the bottom number in blood pressure readings.


heart beat

Represents the heartbeat measure the number of heart when a person per minute, and readings vary between individuals, and can measure the pulse of the heart self one of the following ways: [5]

  • Place the tips of the index and middle finger on the wrist on the side of the palm of the hand, so that the fingers are aligned with the base of the thumb.
  • Place the index and middle finger on the lower neck on either side of the windpipe.


Blood tests

Blood tests reveal to the doctor a lot of evidence about the health of the body, and there are a number of blood tests that are commonly performed to assess heart health and detect some heart diseases, including: [6]

  • Lipid test: (Lipid profile), which detects the level of good and bad cholesterol, in addition to the level of triglycerides.
  • C - reactive protein test: and Acronym CRP, means this assay to measure the concentration of C - reactive protein in the blood; It is a protein produced by the liver in response to an injury or infection in the body, which leads to the occurrence of inflammation, and it should be noted that the high C-reactive protein values ​​above normal rates indicate that the individual is more vulnerable to heart disease.
  • Cerebral natriuretic peptide: (Brain natriuretic peptide), short for BNP, the heart secretes this hormone to help the body get rid of excess fluid by stimulating its excretion through the urine, and if the heart is damaged, the secretion and concentration of this hormone in the blood increases in order to excrete more Fluids and reduce the burden on the heart.
  • Heart enzymes: In this test, the concentration of heart enzymes in the blood is measured, which the heart muscle works to secrete into the blood in small quantities in the normal position, and the examination takes a short time not exceeding a few minutes, and the purpose of the heart enzyme examination is to detect the possibility of an individual having a seizure Cardiac, as the secretion of these enzymes increases if the heart is exposed to any injury or wounds, or the amount of oxygen reaching it decreases. And in fact; There are many types of heart enzymes that can be tested, and one of the most common is the troponin test. [7] [8]


Electrocardiogram

Means the examination of electrical ECG , known for short (ECG); Calculates and records the electrical activity of the heartbeat, which allows the specialist doctor to examine the heartbeat, and the electrocardiogram is performed while at rest when the person is lying on his back; Using several small patches that are attached to the skin in the chest area, arms and legs, and the computer for the examination transforms the electrical impulses that reach the heart into a paper chart, and it should be noted that there is another option for the procedure of the examination, which is that the EKG examination is performed while the person concerned is practicing For exercise, not during times of rest, to check the heart during physical exertion. [9] [10]


Echocardiography

Echocardiography is one of the common heart tests, and the examination includes the use of specialized sound waves to form an integrated picture of the heart, which enables the specialist doctor to examine the heart during its beating and pumping blood, and allows detection of any imbalances or problems in Heart valvesHeart valves, and its rooms. Indeed; There are several types of echocardiography examination, and the steps involved in conducting it are generally summarized by the professional technician applying a gel-like substance first to the transducer for the examination, then using the probe of the echocardiogram and placing it on the chest of the person undergoing the test, in order to correct the ultrasound Ultrasound) on the chest, to pass through it and reach the heart, and the probe, in turn, records the echoes of the waves emanating from the heart, and communicates with a computer that converts the echo into moving images that the doctor can see on the screen of the device. There are some cases in which the lung or chest ribs obstruct the formation of clear images of the heart, and in these cases the individual is given an intravenous injection that contains a special substance that improves the quality of the images. [11]


Cardiac catheterization

Known cardiac catheterization as conducting medically useful in the diagnosis and treatment of some cases related to the problems of the heart, by tracking blood flow in the arteries of the heart, what a doctor can determine any blockage in the blood flow. The procedure is mainly based on two components, namely: specialized medical dyes and x-ray images, as the operation includes a doctor who specializes in numbing the arm or thigh area with local anesthesia , then inserting a thin, hollow tube from the inside, known as a catheter. Catheter) to the artery using a needle in the skin, and the dye material is pumped through the catheter and moved until it reaches the arteries of the heart, in the meantime; X-rays imaging and detecting the path of dye flow in the arteries, in addition to directing the doctor to move the catheter in the correct direction. [12][13]


X-ray imaging

Imaging the chest area using x-rays enables the doctor to evaluate the lungs, in addition to the size and shape of the heart muscle, which is worth noting. The amount of radiation used in this examination is very small, which guarantees that it will not cause any complications in the long term. [14]


CT scan

Computed Tomography (CT scan) of the heart provides a more accurate image than that provided by x-ray images, as a specialized radiographic machine is used that moves in a circular motion around the person's body, to give a detailed three-dimensional image of the heart. [4] [14]


Magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a technique known as magnetic resonance imaging . It is a technique that uses a large radiographic imaging machine, similar in shape to a tunnel or a pathway, and uses magnetic and very high radio waves to form a detailed, static or moving image of the heart, and the MRI enables the specialist doctor to accurately examine the internal structures and structure of the heart, and the extent of its performance of its functions Well, medical dyes can also be used during imaging in order to clarify the width of specific parts of the heart and its arteries, and it should be noted that the time taken to complete these parts ranges between 30-90 minutes, and the examination requires the person concerned to lie on a special table, which the device withdraws later Into it, and when the filming process begins; The device makes loud noises that may cause discomfort. [15][12]


Nuclear imaging

The principle of the nuclear imaging technology of the heart is based on the use of a dedicated camera and radioactive material in order to form an image of the heart, where the radioactive material is injected into the vein of the person concerned, and the material is subsequently transported to the heart, and the imaging contributes to the detection of blood flow in the heart, the investigation of any obstruction to the flow, and the diagnosis of diseases Coronary Heart. [16] [17] It is worth noting; The lack of risk of the radioactive material used, because the radioactive quantities in it are very small. [4]


Tilt table test

The doctor may resort to conducting the tilt table test in the event that the individual suffers from frequent cases of fainting, dizziness, or lightheadedness, with the aim of evaluating the cause of dizziness specifically if the doctor suspects that the heartbeat or blood pressure is a role in the injury of the heart With dizziness, this test depends in its principle on measuring pressure and heart rate during changes in body position, by using the test table on which the test subject lies, and then moving the table to an angle close to the angle of standing, and it should be noted that the test table is equipped with belts to fasten the patient to the table To protect him from falling if he fainted during the test. [18] [19]


References

  1. "Heart Disease Facts" , www.cdc.gov , 22-6-2020, Retrieved 24-7-2020. Edited.
  2. "Types of heart disease" , www.heartandstroke.ca , Retrieved 24-7-2020. Edited.
  3. "Tests" , www.heartandstroke.ca , Retrieved 7-24-2020. Edited.
  4. ^ A b t "Tests For Diagnosing heart 's Conditions" , Www.nhsinform.scot , 13-2-2020, Retrieved 26-7-2020. Edited.
  5. "Pulse & Heart Rate" , my.clevelandclinic.org , 18-11-2018, Retrieved 7-28-2020. Edited.
  6. "Blood tests for heart disease" , www.mayoclinic.org , Retrieved 7-26-2020. Edited.
  7. "What is a Cardiac Enzyme Test?" , reverehealth.com , 16-10-2017, Retrieved 7-26-2020. Edited.
  8. Jenna Fletcher (4-30-2018), "What do elevated cardiac enzyme levels mean?" , Www.medicalnewstoday.com The , Retrieved 26-7-2020. Edited.
  9. "Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)" , www.heart.org , 31-7-2015, Retrieved 24-7-2020. Edited.
  10. Suzanne R. Steinbaum, MD (6-7-2019), “Heart Disease and Electrocardiograms” , www.webmd.com , Retrieved 7-7-2020. Edited.
  11. "Echocardiogram" , www.mayoclinic.org , 4-8-2018, Retrieved 24-7-2020. Edited.
  12. ^ A b "Heart View Health Tests" , Medlineplus.gov , Retrieved 24-7-2020. Edited.
  13. Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, David Zieve, MD, MHA (1-27-2020), "Coronary angiography" , medlineplus.gov , Retrieved 7-24-2020. Edited.
  14. ^ A b "For the Common Tests Congenital Heart View Defects" , Www.heart.org , Retrieved 26-7-2020. Edited.
  15. "Common medical tests to diagnose heart conditions" , healthywa.wa.gov.au , Retrieved 7-26-2020. Edited.
  16. "Nuclear Heart Scan" , www.nhlbi.nih.gov , Retrieved 27-7-2020. Edited.
  17. "Radiation from heart imaging: what you need to know" , www.health.harvard.edu , 8-2018, Retrieved 7-7-2020. Edited.
  18. "Tilt table test" , www.mayoclinic.org , Retrieved 7-28-2020. Edited.
  19. "Tilt Table Testing" , www.hopkinsmedicine.org , Retrieved 28-7-2020. Edited.