Thursday, July 15, 2010

Cardiovascular Watch Dog

When you visit my clinic, I like to measure your cardiovascular ability. It is an excellent way of quantifying your current fitness regarding your heart, lungs and circulatory system. However, instead of using HR monitors and technological gizmos like some kinesiologists, I like to listen to your heart with a good ol’fashioned stethoscope. Some may say it antiquated, but I think it’s the best way to hear the sounds of the tricuspid and bicuspid valves as well as listen to the regular rhythms of your heart.

So, recently while completing my usual cardiovascular test with a new client, I noticed some sounds I couldn’t explain. I told the client it wasn’t a medical emergency, but to see their physician for more testing, and perhaps an ECG, because there were some irregularities beyond my scope of practice.

Well as it turns out, heart disease is prevalent in their family, and the client has now been diagnosed with congenital heart disease. This some pretty serious stuff here – this issue might have gone long undetected unless I had used my trusty stethoscope when counting the beats per minute. In the meantime, we’re waiting to see what the cardiologist recommends before moving forward with a new fitness routine, but I have confidence in the future for helping them maintain their wellness and quality of life.

I am pleased to have had a part, albeit a small one, in identifying these types of issues before anything bad happens to ones health.

So, book a day. And I’ll be your cardiovascular watch dog too.