Jackson Hospital | Partners | Fall 2019

WE CARE FOR YOUR HEART At The Jackson Clinic, our board-certified cardiologists offer highly specialized treatment for heart conditions. We care for your heart from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care. Our cardiology team is able to treat all matters of the heart: arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy, congenital heart defects, heart attacks, heart failure, pericarditis, peripheral artery disease, valve problems, venous thromboembolism and more. Once you know what’s causing your heart-related symptoms, our doctors can work with you to create a treatment plan just for you. Many times, treatment plans involve both medications and behavioral changes, such as losing weight or quitting smoking. If medication and other lifestyle changes aren’t working, our team of doctors have access to the Heart Center at Jackson Hospital, where they are able to perform in-depth testing and procedures to get you back on your feet. 1758 PARK PLACE, MONTGOMERY, SUITE 406 334-240-2348 1758 PARK PLACE, MONTGOMERY, SUITE 402 334-293-6842 Jo Shuford- Guice, CRNP Beverly Stoudemire- Howlett, MD, FACC Darryl Hamilton, MD, FACC Shyam Padmanabhan, MD When the substance in a coronary artery breaks loose, a blood clot forms around it. When the heart is deprived of neces- sary oxygen and nutrients, damage occurs to the heart muscle and a heart attack, or myocardial infarction, occurs. Heart failure Heart failure occurs when the heart is not properly pumping enough blood to meet the body’s needs, which can result in fatigue or shortness of breath. Heart failure can be treated with medications and lifestyle changes, and most people with heart failure can still live long and productive lives. Electrophysiology Electrophysiology is a subspecialty in cardiology that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders. An electrophysiology study, commonly referred to as an EP study, is a test that will help determine abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias. An EP study will help your doctor determine if you need a pacemaker, implantable cardio- verter defibrillator (ICD), cardiac abla- tion or surgery. Cardiomyopathy Cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, makes pumping blood to the rest of your body harder. This strain on the heart can lead to heart failure. Treatments may include medications, surgically im- planted devices or surgery. Several factors can cause cardiomyopathy, including chronic high blood pressure, heart valve problems, nutritional deficiencies, exces- sive use of drugs or alcohol, and certain infections. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) Venous thromboembolism is the third- leading vascular diagnosis, behind heart attack and stroke, and affects up to 600,000 Americans every year. You may have heard of VTE’s two types: deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Deep vein thrombosis is a clot in a deep vein, usually in the leg. Pulmonary embolism occurs when a DVT clot breaks from the vein wall and travels to the lungs, where it can then block some or all of your blood supply. Arrhythmia An arrhythmia is a heart rhythm prob- lem that occurs when electrical impulses from the heart aren’t working properly. This can cause your heart to beat too fast, too slow or irregularly. Many times, arrhythmias can go undetected. Some symptoms you may notice are a fluttering in your chest, a racing heartbeat or chest pain. These chest pains may cause you to feel short of breath or dizzy. www.jackson.org 11