Heart Failure Specialists
Heart and Health Medical’s mission is to help the members of the Long Island community live healthy lives with early detection and heart disease prevention. Dr. David Kavesteen MD, FACC Medical Director and founder of Heart and Health Medical, is one of Long Island’s leading cardiologists, his cardiology team is dedicated to their patient’s needs and provides each patient with the most effective treatment in order to maintain a healthy heart and body. Heart and Health Medical has been helping to prevent and treat heart failure for over 15 years, the private medical practice has grown to 13 providers in four Long Island locations, with an expert team of support personnel including nurses, physicians assistants, and medical technicians.
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Heart Failure
Heart failure does not mean that the heart is functioning at zero percent, what it means is that the heart isn’t pumping as well as it should be. Congestive heart failure is a type of heart failure that requires seeking timely medical attention, although sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably.
Your body depends on the heart’s pumping action to deliver oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood to the body’s cells. When the cells are nourished properly, the body can function normally. With heart failure, the weakened heart can’t supply the cells with enough blood. This results in fatigue and shortness of breath and some people have coughing. Everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs or carrying groceries can become very difficult.
How The Heart Works
The heart is a intricate system of parts with different functions that work together simultaneously. The right side of the heart serves as the pulmonary circuit pump. Deoxygenated blood from the body enters through the superior vena cava or inferior vena cava and flows down into the right atrium. As deoxygenated blood leaves the right atrium, it passes through the right ventricle, pulmonary valve, and pulmonary arteries until it reaches its final destination; the lungs. Once the blood enters the lungs, carbon dioxide is removed from the blood, while oxygen is absorbed. This newly oxygenated blood is now able to serve its optimal purpose in the body.
The left side of the heart is referred to as the systemic circuit pump. One deoxygenated blood receives oxygen from the lungs, it enters the heart through the pulmonary veins, and proceeds to travel through the left atrium, the left ventricle, and finally the aorta. From the aorta, the blood enters different arteries and is transported to different tissues of the body. Once the blood becomes deoxygenated again, the veins carry the blood back to the heart, where this cycle starts again.
Understanding Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is defined as the pressure of blood against the artery walls as the heart is contracting. It consists of two different numbers, representing the systolic and diastolic pressures. Normal blood pressure is between 115-120 / 72-80. High blood pressure is severe condition that affects the overall function of the heart, and if left untreated, can lead to coronary heart disease as well as many other heart diseases.
Accepted Insurances
When To See A Heart Specialist?
Cardiovascular Conditions & Diseases
- Angina (Chest Pain)
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Heart Attack
- Heart Valve Disease
- Pulmonary heart disease – Pulmonary hypertension
- Atherosclerosis
- Congestive heart failure
- Pericarditis
- Heart murmurs
- Patent foramen ovale (PFO)
- Hypertensive heart disease
- Ischemic heart disease – Ischemic cardiomyopathy
- Atrial septal defect (ASD)
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM/ HOCM)
- Cholesterol
- Congenital heart diseases
- Atrial myxoma
- High blood pressure
- Endocarditis
- Cardiomyopathy
- Atherosclerosis
- Mitral Valve Prolapse
Symptoms of Cardiovascular Disease
- Abnormal heartbeats that feel fluttering, pounding, or rapid.
- Angina – chest pain
- Chest discomfort or chest pain
- Dizziness
- Fainting or near fainting
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Getting out of breath (breathlessness) while at rest or with exertion
- Heart rhythm changes
- Lightheadedness
- Numbness, pain, coldness, or weakness in your arms or legs.
- Pain occurring in the jaw, back, neck, throat, or upper abdomen
- Persistent or dry cough
- Racing heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
- Slow heartbeat
- Swollen ankles, legs, and feet
- Unusual spots or skin rashes
Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease
- Family history
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Aging
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Physical inactivity
- High cholesterol
- Gender (males are at an increased risk)
- Elevated C-reactive protein
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