Cardiology Services
At OSF Little Company of Mary, patients have access to a variety of heart screenings and procedures that may help detect and treat any health risk in order to get the necessary care to live a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Patients can also attend OSF Little Company of Mary's Congestive Heart Failure Clinic with a referral from their healthcare provider.
Don't wait another day, begin your start to the healthy heart.
Know Your Risk Factors
Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the disease of the heart & blood vessels that can cause heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and peripheral vascular disease (poor blood circulation in the legs). CVD is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. One in three women have some form of cardiovascular disease. Since 1984, the number of CVD deaths for women has exceeded those for men. Talk to your medical provider about your risk for CVD.
Heart Attack
A heart attack happens when one or multiple parts of the heart muscle don’t get enough oxygen. Once the heart's blood and oxygen supply is cut off, the heart muscle cells quickly suffer damage begin to die. Permanent organ damage begins within 30 minutes of blockage.
It is important to recognize the symptoms of a heart attack and quickly alert medical professionals so they can work to restore blood flow to the coronary artery, preserve the heart muscle function, and prevent death.
Risk Factors
- Blood cholesterol levels
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Tobacco use
- Diet
- Physical inactivity
- Obesity
- Alcohol
- Heredity
- Personal history
Symptoms
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach
- Shortness of breath. This often comes along with chest discomfort, but it can also occur before chest discomfort.
- Breaking out in a cold sweat
- Nausea
- Light-headedness, dizziness, fainting
What You Can Do
- Call 911 immediately if you are experiencing symptoms
- Prevent and control high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes
- Adopt a low-fat diet with less than 30% of calories from fat and consume 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day
- Avoid tobacco
- Limit alcohol
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Conduct regular physical activity