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Symptoms like heart palpitations and chest pain can come from a variety of heart conditions. With our diagnostic testing, we can discover the condition behind your symptoms. If you already know you have a heart condition, our cardiology team can help you find the best way to manage and treat it.
At Heart of Dixie Cardiology, our medical professionals have experience with and can treat you for all of the following heart-related conditions. For exceptional heart care, reach out to one of our four locations to schedule an appointment today.
An arrhythmia is an irregular beating of the heart. Arrhythmias can be caused by coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and heart attack damage. There are several different types of arrhythmia, including atrial tachycardia (fast heartbeat), bradycardia (slow heartbeat), supraventricular arrhythmia, ventricular arrhythmia, Atrial Tachycardia, Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia, Supraventricular Tachycardia, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Heart Block, Premature Ventricular Contractions, Atrial Fibrillation and bradyarrhythmia. If you have fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, palpitations, or chest discomfort, you may have an arrhythmia.
Atrial tachycardia (AT) is similar to ventricular tachycardia but takes place in the two upper chambers (atria) rather than the lower chambers (ventricles). Atrial heartbeats in patients with AT typically range between 130 and 250 beats per minute. Our cardiologists may recommend an ECG or EP study to diagnose the condition. We also provide several treatments for AT, including cardioversion, catheter ablation, and pacemaker implantation.
Atrial fibrillation (also called AFib or AF) is an abnormal heart rhythm originating in the upper chambers of the heart. Atrial fibrillation may be asymptomatic, or it may cause symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, lightheadedness, or chest pain. Atrial fibrillation can be detected during routine physical exams, on EKGs, during a stress test, or with various forms of heart monitoring.
Bundle branch block (BBB) is a form of heart “block” that occurs when an electrical impulse traveling through the conduction system of your heart is delayed or blocked on the way to the bottom chambers of the heart. A bundle branch block can be diagnosed on an EKG. Most people with bundle branch blocks do not have any symptoms. People who do have symptoms may have fainting episodes or feel like they are going to faint. There are several different causes of bundle branch block, which vary based on the type of bundle branch block.
Congestive heart failure is not an actual failure of the heart but rather when the heart either doesn’t pump or fill as it should. If you have congestive heart failure, you may experience fatigue, leg swelling, shortness of breath, rapid weight gain, a heart murmur, or a cough that won’t go away. We may use cardiac catheterization, electrocardiograms, blood tests, or stress tests to determine if you are suffering from congestive heart failure.
Coronary artery disease, more commonly known as CAD, is when the arteries around your heart harden. Symptoms of the disease include chest pain, nausea, heart attacks, cold sweats, arrhythmia, heart failure, and shortness of breath. We can test for CAD with a stress test, CAC scan, echocardiogram, coronary angiogram, and more.
A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked. While CAD is one of the main causes of heart attacks, other risks include high blood pressure, diabetes, and a family history of the condition. During a heart attack, you may feel shortness of breath, cold sweats, lightheadedness, or chest pain.
Heart block, also referred to as atrioventricular or AV block, is when there is a “block” in the electrical pathway of the heart. This leads to electrical signals not being able to appropriately get through to the bottom chambers of your heart as they should. There are varying degrees of heart block, and the more severe types require a pacemaker.
A heart murmur is when your heart creates an additional sound when it pumps. Whether innocent or abnormal, a heart murmur may show itself in symptoms like blue skin, shortness of breath, protruding neck veins, chest pain, and fainting. We can test for a heart murmur with an echocardiogram or an X-ray.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition where the force of your blood against the walls of your arteries can lead to additional health problems, one of which being heart disease. Blood pressure is typically determined by the amount of blood your heart is pumping and the resistance of blood flow in your arteries.
Many people do not realize they have high blood pressure; it is referred to as the “silent killer.” It is important to monitor your blood pressure regularly. In most cases, the damage done by high blood pressure takes place over time. Left undetected (or uncontrolled), high blood pressure can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, vision loss, or peripheral vascular disease (PAD).
Inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST) is a type of dysautonomia (dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system) that is defined as a sinus heart rate of over 100 beats per minute at rest, with an average of over 90 beats per minute in 24 hours. People with IST range in symptom presentation from asymptomatic to complaining of extremely debilitating symptoms such as heart palpitations, weakness, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, or near syncope. IST requires a thorough medical history and exam to be performed as part of the diagnosis process.
PAD, or peripheral arterial disease, is when your arteries harden and reduce blood flow to your extremities. If you are suffering from PAD, you may exhibit symptoms like arm pain, leg pain, leg discoloration, sores on your feet and legs, leg hair loss, or shiny skin. We may perform angiograms, ankle-brachial indexes, or ultrasounds to diagnose peripheral arterial disease.
POTS, which stands for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is a condition of the autonomic nervous system where the heart beats faster than normal when you are standing up. This elevated heart rate is accompanied by various symptoms, which may include lightheadedness, dizziness, palpitations, fatigue, and occasionally syncope. POTS may be suspected based on history and a series of blood pressure and heart rate readings in the office or formally diagnosed on a tilt table test.
A premature ventricular contraction (PVC) is an early heartbeat that originates somewhere in the bottom chambers of the heart instead of coming from the sinoatrial node (the natural pacemaker of the heart). PVCs may be asymptomatic, or they may cause symptoms such as palpitations or shortness of breath. PVCs can be detected during routine physical exams, during a stress test, or with various forms of heart monitoring.
Stroke is dangerous and deadly — the No. 5 killer and a leading cause of disability in America. The link between heart disease and stroke is significant. Several types of heart disease are risk factors for stroke. People with coronary heart disease, angina or who have had a heart attack due to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) have more than twice the risk of stroke. Dilated cardiomyopathy (an enlarged heart), heart valve disease and some types of congenital heart defects can also raise the risk of stroke. Atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder, can cause a clot to travel to the brain and cause a stroke. Peripheral vascular disease, including narrowing of the carotid arteries in the neck, can also lead to stroke. Early detection and recognizing the signs of stroke are essential to optimal recovery.
Heart of Dixie can identify and help you manage these related conditions, decreasing your risk of stroke. We offer a wide range of services, diagnostic testing, and treatment plans that can be customized to your needs.
Superventricular tachycardia (also called SVT) is an abnormal rhythm originating in the upper chambers of the heart. There are several different types of SVT, and the SVT may be asymptomatic, or it may cause symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, chest pain, or syncope. Tests to diagnose SVT include EKGs and various forms of heart monitoring.
Syncope is a condition better known as fainting. It is a temporary loss of consciousness that is caused by a drop in blood pressure, which results in a decrease in blood flow to the brain. Some people have no symptoms before fainting, and others may experience symptoms such as lightheadedness, dizziness, palpitations, altered vision, nausea, sweating, or ringing in the ears. There are different types of syncope, with the treatment depending on the cause.
Varicose are enlarged veins that have twisting and gnarled appearances. Varicose vein symptoms include muscle cramps, itching, skin discoloration, leg pain, and bruising. If you have any of these symptoms, we may perform a diagnostic test to determine if the cause is varicose veins. Common tests for varicose veins include physical examinations and ultrasounds.
Vascular disease is a broad category that covers conditions like atherosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, and deep vein thrombosis. Noticeable vascular disease symptoms include edema, cramping leg muscles, spider veins, ulcers, and varicose veins. If unchecked, these vascular diseases can cause chest pain, heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, heart failure, leg pain, and ulcers.
Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is an abnormal, rapid heart rhythm originating from the lower chambers of the heart. VT is often symptomatic and may cause palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, syncope, or cardiac arrest. VT can be captured on an electrocardiogram (EKG) or heart monitor, or it may be seen during a stress test or when presenting with cardiac arrest.
Heart of Dixie Cardiology is a specialty subset of the Revere Health group. We have over a dozen cardiology providers throughout our locations to give you the specialized heart care that you deserve.
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