heart

What Is the Best Treatment for Pericarditis?

What is pericarditis? Pericarditis is a condition in which the sac that surrounds the heart becomes inflamed. The best treatment for pericarditis depends on what's causing the infection. Antivirals, corticosteroids and surgery may be used. Pericarditis is a condition in which the protective sac around the heart becomes inflamed. This sac is called the pericardium. …

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How Do I Know if It’s a Panic Attack or Heart Attack?

What is a panic attack vs. heart attack? A panic attack is an intense wave of fear accompanied by symptoms like sweating, shaking, dizziness and others. A heart attack is a blockage in blood flow to the heart. The symptoms of a heart attack and panic attack are similar, but they have different outcomes. When you feel your heart racing …

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What Does an Angina Attack Feel Like?

What does an angina attack feel like? Angina attacks are a type of chest pain that occurs when the heart is not getting enough blood. An angina attack feels like squeezing pressure in your chest, back, arms, neck or shoulders. You may also feel like you have indigestion or an upset stomach. Angina attacks are chest pains caused when there …

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Heart Attack Early Warning Signs and Symptoms in Women and Men

Signs and symptoms of a heart attack can include chest pain, nausea and arm pain.Source: iStock What should I know about heart attacks? Readers Comments 17 Share Your Story Heart Attack illustration – Myocardial Infarction What is a heart attack? A heart attack is the death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood supply. The loss of blood …

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Optiray (ioversol) Injection for Heart X-Ray: Side Effects, Dosage

What is Optiray Injection, and how does it work? Optiray (ioversol) is a radiopaque contrast agent that contains iodine, a substance that absorbs x-rays, and is used to help diagnose certain disorders of the heart. What are the side effects of Optiray Injection? Common side effects of Optiray include fever, warmth and pain at the injection site, skin rash or …

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Heart Transplant Surgery: Artificial Hearts, Costs, Rejection

A heart transplant involves surgically replacing a diseased heart with a healthy heart from a donor. A heart transplant is a surgery in which a diseased heart is replaced with a healthy heart from a donor. Believe it or not, heart transplantation is a relatively simple operation for a cardiac surgeon.  There are three different types of heart transplants: The first …

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How Long Can You Live With a Biventricular Pacemaker?

A biventricular pacemaker is a battery-operated device used to treat delay in contractions of the lower chambers of the heart A biventricular pacemaker is a battery-operated device used to treat delay in contractions of the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). As per research, patients with a biventricular pacemaker have better survival rates after the diagnosis is made. The average …

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How Accurate Is a Myocardial Perfusion Scan?

What is a myocardial perfusion scan? A mycocardial perfusion scan is an imaging study that shows how well blood flows through the heart muscle. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of cardiac imaging with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is between 44 percent and 70 percent depending on the blood vessels involved. In the United States, one person dies every 36 …

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How Long Do Carotid Artery Stents Last?

Once a stent is placed in a carotid artery, the stent permanently stays inside the artery. Once placed, the stent permanently stays inside the artery. There is a 2-3% risk of repeat narrowing if the stent also gets blocked in the future. This usually happens within the first 6-9 months. If this happens, the stent will be replaced. The carotid …

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What Is Renal Artery Angioplasty? Procedure, Purpose, Testing & Risks

The renal artery angioplasty aims at opening the block and restoring the regular blood flow. Renal artery angioplasty is a procedure to widen the opening of the renal arteries that supply blood to the kidney. Narrowing of the renal artery (renal artery stenosis) is the leading cause of this artery obstruction. Renal artery stenosis is mostly caused by atherosclerosis or …

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