Atrial fibrillation, sometimes called a-fib, is the commonest cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm). In contrast to the metronome-like heart rhythm that we are used to, atrial fibrillation is characterized by an irregularly irregular heartbeat. If you were to check your pulse, there would be no pattern. The timing of your heartbeat would almost seem random. […]
What Is A Stress Test?
Unless otherwise stated, any stress test referenced on a MyHeart related blog post will refer specifically to cardiac stress tests. Other heart related stress tests like cardiopulmonary exercise tests can be discussed at a later date. In generic terms, a stress test is a procedure to indirectly determine whether there are significant blockages in your […]
Chest Pain – Part 1 – Angina
Chest pain is one of the most frightening symptoms that a person can experience. The problem is that not all chest pain is dangerous and not all chest pains are created equal. Some chest pain such as that associated with a heart attack, can be very dangerous. What makes things worse is that each person […]
PFO anyone?
By Julian Booker MD Help!! It’s an emergency!! I have a hole in my heart!! My last doctor performed an echocardiogram and told me I have a patent foramen ovale (PFO). What does this mean? More importantly, what does this mean for me? The foramen ovale is a shunt that is a necessary component of […]