A Few Reasons Your Doctor May Refer You for Cardiology Services Even If Your Heart Is Currently Healthy
It can be scary and concerning to have your primary care physician refer you to a cardiologist. When you talk with your doctor and they tell you that you have no cardiac problems currently, it can be confusing. You may even consider ignoring the referral, thinking it is just a waste of time and money. However, there are some very good reasons for the referral, and you should take it very seriously. Quite often, prevention is the best way to keep from developing heart problems in the future. Here are just a few reasons you may need to undergo regular cardiac services or see this specialist for a short while, at least.
Family History
Cardiac disease can be hereditary. If you talk with your doctor about heart conditions in your family history, they may refer you for cardiology services to get a complete workup and a baseline of what is going on while you are healthy. The cardiologist will go over your family history and may ask some more involved questions that will require you find additional information from your family members. If possible, get as much information as you can to be able to discuss it all when you go for your first appointment. The more information they have, the better they can anticipate what may happen to you. This will allow them to create a plan to help reduce the chance of you developing the same problems.
Non-Cardiac Risk Factors
High blood pressure or cholesterol are risk cardiac risk factors that can also be the beginning of heart disease. However, there are other risk factors you may not associate with cardiac problems. If you are diabetic, are overweight, or smoke, you should see the cardiologist. A health care clinic that offers cardiology services, such as Temecula Valley Cardiology, will work with you to make the necessary changes to keep your heart healthy. They may assign a nutritionist to help you learn how to control your blood sugar and weight, or find ways to help you quit smoking.
Pregnancy Complications
If you are pregnant, problems like gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia may go away once you have the baby. However, they can also cause damage to the heart tissue, or set you up for future heart disease if not cared for properly. Cardiology services will work with you to ensure that you deliver a healthy baby and that any complications will not cause problems in the future.
It is never a good idea to ignore a referral to a specialist. When the referral is for something as important as your cardiac health, be sure to take it to heart and follow through with the appointment.
