Health Tips › Heart Attack Symptoms

Getting to the Heart of the Matter

Thanks to advances in technology, cardiologists no longer need to wield the scalpel to treat their patients. Mount Alvernia based Senior Consultant Cardiologist Dr Ho Kheng Thye explains why.

Major advancements in cardiac care over the past two decades have greatly improved patient care and treatment.

One area where this is evidenced is Cardiac Imaging. A totally non-invasive form of cardiac care, no incisions are made and no foreign objects such as needles and catheters are inserted into the body. Risks associated with such procedures are thus eliminated. Imaging can also be done repeatedly, if determined necessary by the doctor.

This was not always the case. In the past, patients with chest pains would require an invasive angiogram which involved the insertion of a needle and catheter in order to investigate the cause of the problem.

Now, a Cardiac Computer Tomography (CT) scan which can be completed within seconds, is all it takes to capture high precision images of the heart and its components.

This non-invasive imaging technology provides detailed pictures of the organ and its surrounding blood vessels. Doctors use these images to diagnose coronary artery diseases or heart artery blockages, and to estimate the potential risk of a heart attack.

A series of scans taken periodically can also monitor the effectiveness of a prescribed treatment plan by tracing developments over time.

Today’s devices even enable doctors to capture sharp, three-dimensional images of the heart from different angles. Information collected from these scans help surgeons plan and perform complex heart procedures.

“It’s like using a camera with super high shutter speed to take pictures of a moving organ like the heart,” explained Dr Ho.

Non-invasive methods are able to reveal the presence of blocked blood vessels and show any abnormalities in the organ’s physical structure.

Today, heart disease is the Number Two killer in Singapore.  So getting a headstart with early diagnosis and treatment can make all the difference in the chances of survival.

Even seemingly healthy people – especially men in their 40s and women who have gone through menopause – should be alert of potential heart conditions.

Heart Attack Symptoms

“The heart is not something that you can ‘worry about later’,” cautioned Dr Ho. “Be mindful of your health and seek medical advice early, especially if you have any of the five risk-factors or experience any of the classic symptoms, so that you can be under the care of a doctor.”

Symptoms to watch out for include chest pains and unusual breathlessness. The risk factors for heart disease are smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and family history.

Dr Ho Kheng Thye is based at Heart Consultants, #02-25A, Blk A, Mount Alvernia Medical Centre, Tel: (+65) 6251 1618, (65) 8318-1618, http://web.me.com/heartconsultants