Blog Archive
Chest pain is a common problem for both women and men, ranking second as the most common reason why people visit the emergency room. It also accounts for about 1% of all doctor office visits — yet fortunately, only a small percentage of chest pain is related to serious heart...
Electrocardiograms or EKGs may be the most familiar type of cardiac testing, but it’s definitely not the only type. In fact, while an EKG is certainly important, it’s limited by its brevity and also because it only measures the heart’s electrical activity. For a more detailed overview of your heart’s...
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered dramatic changes throughout everyday life — and in the medical community as well. Not only are providers across the country postponing elective procedures, but many are also encouraging people to avoid in-office appointments to reduce their risk of exposure to this highly contagious coronavirus.But what...
Roughly half of American adults have high blood pressure, according to the CDC, and that means they’re all at risk of developing serious complications, like heart disease, stroke, heart attack, and even some types of dementia, among other problems. If you have hypertension, taking steps to manage your blood pressure...
More than a third of adults suffer from varicose veins, twisted, bulging, purplish-blue veins that tend to appear most commonly on your lower legs. In addition to uncomfortable symptoms like burning, cramping, and itching, most people find these veins unattractive, often going to great lengths to hide or camouflage them. ...
More than 800,000 Americans have heart attacks every year, including millions of women. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, responsible for about a third of all deaths among women each year. Yet despite the very real threat of heart problems, data shows that only...
If you’ve ever exercised, you’ve probably experienced the aching muscles that can follow a particularly strenuous workout. In those instances, a little discomfort isn’t uncommon; it’s a pretty common “side effect” from some types of physical activity. If you have persistent or recurrent pain, it could indicate an underlying medical...
More than 7 million echocardiograms are performed every year in the United States, helping doctors diagnose and manage heart disease and prevent its complications. Noninvasive and painless, echocardiograms (or simply “echoes”) provide highly-detailed images of your heart and its structure. At TLC Medical Group Inc. in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Anthony B. Lewis...
About half of all Americans have high blood pressure (hypertension), a chronic medical problem that dramatically increases your risks of heart disease, stroke, and other serious medical problems. But even though hypertension is common, many Americans don’t know they have high blood pressure, nor do they understand how their blood pressure can...
Millions of Americans suffer from vein diseases, including diseases that cause vein swelling and distension. Many vein problems happen when valves inside our veins stop working, interfering with normal blood flow and causing our veins and our limbs to swell. Virtually anyone can develop swollen veins, but they tend to...
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among both women and men in the United States, causing about 20% of all deaths nationwide, according to the CDC. Every 33 seconds, someone in this country dies as a result of cardiovascular disease. Diagnosing heart problems early and actively managing existing...
As many as 6 million Americans have atrial fibrillation (AFib), a condition that occurs when your heart’s upper chambers beat irregularly. If you have AFib, your risks of developing dangerous blood clots and having a stroke dramatically increase. Many people with AFib have a noticeably rapid or irregular heartbeat, but sometimes, AFib causes no...
Nearly 120 million American adults have hypertension (high blood pressure), defined as a blood pressure at or above 130/80 mmHg. High blood pressure is a risk factor for an array of serious medical issues, including heart disease, heart attack, strokes, and kidney failure. That means if you have hypertension, your...
Every year in the United States, nearly a million people have heart attacks. Of those, about three-quarters are first heart attacks. If you’ve had a heart attack, it’s natural to be curious — and even a little anxious — about what to expect afterward. How will it affect your life?...
As many as 40% of Americans will experience chest pain during their lifetimes, and while that pain is often a one-time event in many cases, for some patients, chest pain symptoms are chronic and recurrent. When chest pain happens, it’s common to wonder if you’re having a heart attack. But the fact...
About 2.5 million Americans suffer from chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a chronic condition that makes it harder for blood to return from your extremities to your heart. In CVI, tiny valves inside your veins stop functioning, allowing blood to slow down and back up inside your veins. As with other vascular disorders...
More than a third of Americans have varicose veins, bulging, purplish veins that typically appear on the legs or ankles. Varicose veins happen when changes inside the vein interfere with normal blood flow. When the blood backs up inside the vein, it causes the walls of the vein to bulge outward....
Better known by its common nickname, “heartburn,” acid reflux happens when stomach acids move backward — or reflux — into your esophagus. While most of us have heartburn from time to time, like after eating a particularly heavy or spicy meal, chronic acid reflux has another name — gastrointestinal esophageal...
Stress tests play an important role in diagnosing and managing cardiovascular diseases, allowing your doctor to evaluate the heart’s structures and to see how well it’s functioning. In fact, stress tests typically are used as a regular part of heart care for many types of ailments, enabling your doctor to...
Millions of people have varicose veins — up to 35% of Americans. If you’re one of them, having a phlebectomy procedure could be the solution you're looking for to get rid of painful symptoms. Varicose veins happen when tiny valves inside your veins stop functioning, allowing blood to “back up” and...
About half of American adults have high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart attacks, heart disease, and strokes. If you don’t have high blood pressure (or hypertension), it’s essential to do all you can to prevent it. At TLC Medical Group, Anthony B. Lewis MD, FACC and his team help patients in Port St. Lucie,...
Chest pain is a common medical complaint, perhaps because so many underlying problems can cause it. Unfortunately, cardiovascular problems are among the most common causes of chest pain, and they’re also associated with the most serious complications. At TLC Medical Group, Anthony B. Lewis MD, FACC and his team use a patient-centered approach for chest...
Having a healthy heart is essential for getting the most out of life at every age. One of the ways to monitor your heart health is with special testing designed to “see” how your heart is working. An electrocardiogram, or EKG, is one common test used to monitor your heart’s...
More than a third of Americans have varicose veins, twisted, bulging, malfunctioning veins that impair or impede normal circulation. Varicose veins become more common as we age, affecting 40-70% of men and women by the time they reach their 60s. Varicose veins happen when blood “backs up” inside your veins, causing the vein...
Leg swelling is a relatively common medical complaint, in part because so many issues can cause swelling. While some of those causes are benign, other times, swollen legs can be a sign of a more serious underlying medical problem — one that needs prompt treatment to prevent complications. At his Port...
February is American Heart Month, which means it’s a perfect time to get to know your heart a little bit better. You can begin by dispelling one of the most common misconceptions about heart health — the myth that heart attacks always cause chest pain. That’s right, even though chest...
Most of us have occasional sleepless nights, and as long as they don’t happen a lot, they’re usually nothing to worry about. Too much caffeine, a stressful day, an upset tummy — lots of issues can interfere with sleep every now and then. If you routinely have trouble sleeping, though,...
Most of us have swelling at some point, maybe from a bee sting, a sunburn, or even an allergic reaction. Edema is a less common type of swelling that usually affects your legs — and it can be a sign of a serious underlying medical problem called chronic venous insufficiency....
Atrial fibrillation (or AFib) is the most commonly diagnosed type of heart arrhythmia in the United States, affecting as many as 6 million people. AFib happens when the heart’s two upper chambers — the atria — contract irregularly, resulting in a heartbeat that’s too fast or “out of sync.” Board-certified...
EKGs (electrocardiograms) are one of the most common tests used to evaluate the electrical activity of your heart. Echocardiograms typically aren’t performed as often — but they can provide a wealth of information, too, especially for patients with specific heart-related issues. Anthony B. Lewis, MD, FACC, and the team at...
Almost half of American adults have high blood pressure — but less than a quarter of those people are managing their high blood pressure successfully. That’s the sobering news from the CDC, which also found that slightly more than half of those with hypertension aren’t taking any steps to have...
Nuclear stress test: Does any medical procedure have a more unfortunate name? Any one of those three words is enough to make you a little bit nervous. Put all three together, and it’s easy to see why a lot of people worry about what to expect. Fortunately, nuclear stress tests...
Every year, between 4-5 million Americans deal with uncomfortable leg swelling, also called edema. Leg swelling can have lots of causes, including pregnancy and obesity. But often, edema in your lower legs and feet is caused by problems with your veins. Chronic venous insufficiency is a common cause of leg...
The American Heart Association says more than 100 million Americans have hypertension (more commonly known as high blood pressure). That means all those men and women are at increased risks for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, dementia, kidney and vision problems, and even some types of cancer. Many people know...
Varicose veins affect about 35% of American adults, and if you’re one of them, you’re probably very familiar with the cosmetic problems they cause. Purplish, twisted, and often bulging, there’s no denying that varicose veins are just plain unattractive. But their appearance is just one thing you need to be...
As many as 40% of the world’s population suffers from chest pain — some of it relatively benign, and some of it a sign of a life-threatening problem like heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Generally speaking, you should never ignore chest pain. But when...
Heart disease is the number-one cause of death in the United States. Heart attacks occur when something — usually a blood clot — interrupts the flow of blood to your heart. Lack of oxygenated blood causes tissues to die. Heart attacks are always medical emergencies and can be fatal. When...