Signs and symptoms
... Endocarditis may develop slowly or suddenly — depending on what''s causing the infection and whether you have any underlying heart abnormalities. Signs and symptoms may include: Fever Chills Wea...

Causes
... Endocarditis occurs when germs enter your bloodstream, travel to your heart and lodge on abnormal heart valves or damaged heart tissue. Bacteria are the cause of most cases, but fungi, viruses or othe...

Risk factors
... If your heart is healthy, you''re unlikely to develop endocarditis. Even most types of heart disease don''t increase the risk of endocarditis. The organisms that cause infection tend to adhere to and ...

When to seek medical advice
... If you develop signs or symptoms of endocarditis, see your doctor right away — especially if you have risk factors for this serious infection. Although less serious conditions can cause similar ...

Screening and diagnosis
... Your doctor may suspect endocarditis based on your medical history and physical signs and symptoms, such as fever. Using a stethoscope to listen to your heart, your doctor may hear a new heart murmur ...

The Sestamibi Exercise Stress Test
... The sestamibi exercise stress test involves exercising on a treadmill or stationary bicycle while you are closely monitored. The test is used to assess your heart function and determine if there is an...

Smoking and Heart Disease
... Most people associate cigarette smoking with breathing problems and lung cancer. But did you know that smoking is also a major cause of heart disease for men and women? What’s the link between smoking...

Exercise Stress Echo Test
... What is an exercise stress echo test?The exercise stress test involves exercising on a treadmill or stationary bicycle while you are closely monitored. The test is used to: Determine your likelihood o...

Metabolic Stress Test
... What is a metabolic stress test?The metabolic stress test measures the performance of the heart and lungs while they are under physical stress. The test involves exercising on a treadmill or stationar...

 Dobutamine Stress Echo Test
... What is a dobutamine stress echo test? The dobutamine stress echo test involves taking a medication called dobutamine while you are closely monitored. The medication stimulates your heart and makes it...

Getting the Skinny on Trans Fats
... In many ways, foods are deceiving, frustrating compounds. The ones that look and taste great often aren’t so great for you, and the ones that don’t look and taste so great, often are. So it’s no wonde...

Testing for Hypertension and Heart Disease
... Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often called a "silent disease" because you usually don’t know that you have it; there are no outward symptoms or signs. Nonetheless, it damages the ...

Depression Can be Hazardous to Heart Health; But Treatment Can Help
... For centuries, writers have waxed poetic about the damage sadness and despair can cause to the heart. Today, scientists have proven them correct in a way. Studies performed over the past decade have s...

Echocardiogram
... What is an echocardiogram? An echocardiogram (often called "echo") is a graphic outline of the heart''s movement. During an echocardiogram test, high frequency sound waves (from a hand-held ...

Common Over-The-Counter Drugs Containing Caffeine
...

The Entrance or Exit Exercise Stress Test for Cardiac Rehabilitation
... What is an exercise stress test? An exercise stress test involves exercising on a treadmill or stationary bicycle while you are closely monitored. Exercise stress tests are used to: Determine how well...

 Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE)
... What is a transesophageal echocardiogram? An echocardiogram (often called "echo") is a graphic outline of the heart''s movement. During the transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) test, an ultr...

Fighting Heart Disease by Monitoring Inflammation
... Cholesterol screening may have a new friend in c-reactive protein. For years, physicians have used cholesterol screening to help identify patients who are at increased risk for heart attack or stroke....

Why Worry About Heart Disease?
... Assessing a person’s risk for heart disease is an essential task for the primary care physician. Heart disease (including hypertension, coronary artery disease and stroke) is by far the leading cause ...