Caring for Your Every Heartbeat
Whether you’re looking for answers about symptoms, have been recently diagnosed with heart disease or are learning to manage a heart condition, our caring and compassionate team is here to help.
Here, your cardiology care team includes some of the top cardiologists in Tampa, Ocala, and the Heartland. You’ll also have nurses who specialize in cardiac care, therapists with proven experience and many others who will support every step of your journey.
We’re here to help you find the right physician or a location that’s convenient for you.
Understand Your Risk to Live Healthfully
You only have one heart. And we’re here to help you protect it for years to come. Believing that good health starts with education, we’ve compiled important information about risk factors, treatment options and steps you can take to stay heart healthy.
- Understand Heart Disease
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Heart disease (also called cardiovascular disease) refers to many different health conditions that affect your heart. The most common types of heart disease include:
- Arrhythmia
- Cardiac arrest
- Congenital heart disease
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary artery disease
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Vascular disease
- Know Heart Disease Risk Factors
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It’s important to understand your risk for heart disease so you can take the necessary steps to protect your health. Risk factors are generally divided into two groups:
Controllable Risk Factors
These are actions you can take or behaviors you can modify to reduce your risk for heart disease. The major controllable risk factors include:
- Diabetes
- Diet
- High blood pressure
- Inactivity
- Loneliness and social isolation
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Stress
By making healthy lifestyle changes, like maintaining a healthy weight, eating healthy, staying active and managing chronic conditions, you can lower your risk.
Uncontrollable Risk Factors
These are things you can’t control, including your:
- Age
- Family history of heart disease
- Gender (men are at higher risk than women)
Your cardiologist can help you understand your risks and create a plan to protect your heart.
- Get an Accurate Diagnosis
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The first step in improving your heart health is getting a clear and accurate picture of what’s causing your symptoms. Your cardiologist may order several different diagnostic tests to measure and evaluate your heart function.
EKG or ECG
An electrocardiogram (also called an EKG or ECG) records the electrical signals in your heart. This test is painless and non-invasive, which means nothing is placed in your body. A technician will place sensors on your chest, and sometimes your arms and legs. These sensors detect the electrical activity in your heart. It can show how quickly (or slowly) your heart is beating, identify an irregular heart rhythm and the strength and timing of electrical pulses that move through your heart.
Holter Monitor
A Holter monitor is a longer EKG. It measures and records your heart’s activity continuously for 24 to 48 hours. Most Holter monitors are strapped around the chest and powered by a small battery pack. You wear it all day and night, except for showering.
Nuclear Imaging
A nuclear imaging stress test uses radioactive dye and an imaging machine to show the blood flow to your heart during rest and activity. This test can diagnose poor blood flow or heart damage.
Stress Test
A stress test shows how your heart works during exercise. You will be asked to ride a stationary bike or walk on a treadmill while wearing sensors to record your heart’s function. This test can help diagnose problems with your heart’s blood flow.
Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE)
A TEE test produces detailed pictures of your heart. These images are of higher quality than an EKG can produce, which allows your cardiologist to view the arteries that lead from your heart to your esophagus.
- Create a Heart Health Improvement Plan
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A cardiologist has specialized training in diagnosing, treating and preventing heart disease. Your cardiologist will work closely with you to better understand your symptoms, risk factors and medical history. Together, you’ll map out a plan that helps you reduce your risk of heart disease so you can live your best life.
Comprehensive Cholesterol Care in Tampa
Keeping your cholesterol in check can require constant monitoring, especially if you have a hard-to-treat lipid condition. We designed our Lipid Wellness and Prevention Program with you in mind, bringing you best-in-class services and caring experts. With a team committed to your whole health, we’ll help you keep your heart beating strong for many years to come.
Understanding, Treating and Preventing Heart Attacks
A heart attack happens when blood flow to the heart stops. Most often, this is caused by the buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries.
You may be at higher risk of experiencing a heart attack if you:
- Are a man over the age 45 or a woman over age 55
- Aren’t physically active
- Experience excessive stress
- Have a family history of heart attack
- Use illegal drugs
- Use tobacco or are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke
Certain medical conditions can also increase your risk, including:
- Coronary artery disease
- Diabetes
- High blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Metabolic syndrome
- Obesity
You can take steps to reduce your risk of a heart attack. That means working closely with your personal physician or cardiologist and managing any pre-existing health conditions. It’s also smart to make healthy lifestyle choices, including:
- Avoiding alcohol
- Eating a heart-healthy diet
- Finding ways to manage stress
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Quitting smoking
- Spending time with family and friends
- Staying active
- Taking medications as prescribed
A heart attack doesn’t always look like it does in the movies. Most heart attacks start with subtle symptoms that may be easily ignored. But, if you’re at risk of heart attack, don’t ignore these critical early warning signs. Listening to your body can ensure you get the care you need, when you need it.
Common heart attack symptoms can include:
- Anxiety
- Back pain
- Chest pressure, squeezing, aching or burning
- Excessive fatigue
- Feeling of fullness
- Jaw pain
- Nausea
- Pain that travels down one or both arms
- Shortness of breath
As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort, but women are somewhat more likely than men to experience the other symptoms including shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
If you’re concerned you or a loved one are having a heart attack, call 911 immediately. Don’t delay getting the lifesaving care you need.
Our team offers the latest innovations in diagnosing and treating heart attacks. Our interventional cardiologists have proven experience performing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to open blocked arteries.
Your care begins before you even arrive. Paramedics notify our emergency departments that someone experiencing a heart attack is on their way. Our highly trained team assembles and prepares to provide care for you or your loved one. We’ll even instruct emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to begin performing diagnostic tests so we can begin treating you as soon as you arrive.
As an accredited chest pain center, we have proven our exceptional standards and efficiency in treating patients with heart attack symptoms. We have streamlined systems from admission to evaluation to diagnosis and treatment.
As our team of cardiologists, surgeons and cardiac nurses assess your health and condition to create a treatment plan that helps you recover and strengthens your heart.
Recovering from a heart attack doesn’t happen overnight. It calls for a commitment to strengthening your body, mind and spirit. Our cardiac rehabilitation program focuses on your whole health to help restore your confidence, rebuild your strength and help you feel good, again. Learn more about our cardiac rehabilitation program.
Find Answers, Feel Better
Navigating heart disease can be overwhelming. The right care team can take the stress and anxiety out of your treatment plan. We’re honored to offer top-notch care to our patients with some of the best cardiologists in the region.
Connect with one of our West Florida experts and get the care you deserve.
Women’s Heart Care, Tailored to You
When it comes to your heart, you’re one of a kind. Your lifestyle, family history, medical history and even gender can impact the care you need to keep your heart healthy and strong. Discover how we’re supporting women and helping them improve their health with proven, compassionate cardiology care.