cardiology

The cardiology is a specialty of medicine that is particularly concerned with the research, treatment and healing of heart diseases. It is therefore literally referred to as the “doctrine of the heart”. In order to work as a cardiologist, medical professionals in Germany must be able to prove that they have received special training.

What is cardiology

The concept of cardiology refers to the specialty of human medicine that deals with diseases and damage to the heart. She not only deals with actual congenital or later acquired diseases of the heart itself, but also with those of the surrounding blood vessels and the blood circulation itself.

For this reason, there is often an overlap with other medical disciplines such as pulmonology and neurology. Doctors who want to practice cardiology in Germany must complete special training and be able to prove the knowledge they have acquired there.

The term "cardiologist" is protected and may only be used by people who have the appropriate knowledge and skills. The exact name for these doctors is "Specialist in internal medicine with a focus on cardiology".

Treatments & therapies

The department of cardiology deals in the broadest sense with diseases, damage and abnormalities in the area of ​​the heart. Not only direct diseases of the organ itself, but also those of the blood circulation or the cardiovascular system are diagnosed, researched and treated.

These include, for example, the very common high blood pressure and strokes. Cases of coronary artery disease are treated particularly often in cardiology. It is a disease of the coronary arteries that can lead to angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmias and even heart attacks. These related symptoms, like coronary artery disease (CHD) itself, are among the most common diseases in the field of cardiology.

Heart failure (heart failure) also occurs relatively often. Doctors understand this to mean a clinical picture in which the heart is not able to transport blood without a significant increase in pressure. Cardiac arrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation, are also more common in cardiology. For this there is a special corresponding sub-area, the so-called rhythmology. The rarer diseases that fall into the field of cardiology include diseases of the heart muscle or the heart valves.

Inflammatory heart diseases such as myocarditis and endocarditis are also treated, but they are rare. Heart diseases that occur after infections have been a major problem in cardiology in the past, but have been reduced to a minimum in Europe.

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Diagnosis & examination methods

In the department of cardiology The research, detection and treatment of all diseases that affect the heart, the surrounding blood vessels and the circulatory system are covered.

Different examination and treatment methods can be used for this. Basically, an ultrasound examination of the heart usually takes place in order to provide information about any organic damage. With the help of an EKG (electrocardiogram) the activities of the heart muscle fibers are checked in order to check the regularity or irregularity of the heart sounds.

In order to be able to take a closer look at the heart and its surroundings, the doctor can perform a catheter examination. Depending on which diseases or damage were diagnosed, numerous different treatment routes can be followed within cardiology. In some cases, medication can be administered (for example to lower blood pressure), which can already alleviate the symptoms.

If the patient's heart beats too slowly, a pacemaker can be used to regulate the heartbeat. Not only the insertion, but also the comprehensive aftercare falls into the field of cardiology. Blocked or blocked arteries are bridged by means of a bypass operation, so that blood flow can resume as usual.

By implanting a so-called cardioverter / defibrillator, cardiac death due to ventricular fibrillation and the resulting cardiac arrest can be prevented. Surgical, medicinal or other treatment methods in the field of cardiology in particular require regular, intensive follow-up care. Only in this way can the patient's health be guaranteed in the long term despite a heart disease.