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Woodlands Heart and Vascular Institute Blog View all posts

Could I Have High Blood Pressure and Not Know It?
Yes, you can have high blood pressure and not know it. In fact, symptoms are incredibly rare. Signs only appear when high blood pressure leads to advanced disease, and then your first sign is likely to be a heart attack or stroke.
May 19th, 2023

Can Radiofrequency Ablation Make My Varicose Veins Disappear?
Whether varicose veins make you embarrassed to wear shorts or they cause pain, burning, and swelling, radiofrequency ablation solves the problem. Here you’ll learn how radiofrequency ablation permanently and completely eliminates varicose veins.
Apr 13th, 2023

What Can a Stress Test Tell Me?
When you have symptoms suggesting a heart problem, it’s essential to find the problem and begin treatment as soon as possible. A stress test is one of several in-office diagnostic procedures that quickly target the problem.
Mar 9th, 2023

The Dangers of Hypertension
If you don’t have your blood pressure checked, you won’t know you have hypertension. Living with untreated hypertension puts your health at risk. The dangers of high blood pressure range from vision loss and dementia to stroke and heart attacks.
Feb 14th, 2023

Is Atrial Fibrillation a Life-Threatening Condition?
Atrial fibrillation alone may not be life-threatening, but it seldom occurs alone, and it frequently causes deadly strokes. Here’s what you need to know about the dangerous complications of atrial fibrillation and the factors that increase your risk.
Jan 24th, 2023

The Important Link Between Sleep Loss and Heart Disease
More than one-third of adults don’t get the sleep they need every night, putting all of them at a higher risk of developing heart disease. If you don’t get enough sleep, don’t wait to take steps to protect your heart.
Dec 13th, 2022

Five Foods That Promote Positive Heart Health
Your diet has the power to prevent heart disease and relieve the stress on your heart after you’re diagnosed with a cardiovascular condition. We share five exceptional foods and how they can help promote a healthy heart.
Nov 10th, 2022

What Can You Learn From an Echocardiogram?
If you have symptoms of a heart problem, chances are you’ll need an echocardiogram. Echocardiograms are safe and fast, quickly providing exceptional images used to diagnose heart problems and make treatment decisions.
Oct 12th, 2022

5 Habits That Raise Your Risk of Varicose Veins
Everyone hates the appearance of varicose veins, but many don’t realize they can take steps to prevent them. You can lower your risk by learning about and changing the lifestyle habits that contribute to varicose veins.
Aug 8th, 2022

How To Manage Your Mental Health After a Heart Attack
Heart attacks do more than affect your physical health. They also take a toll on your mental health. Depression is such a common problem after a heart attack that the American Heart Association recommends routine screening.
Jul 6th, 2022

Five Foods That Can Help Lower Your Blood Pressure
The foods you eat have such a dramatic impact on your cardiovascular health that dietary changes can help lower your blood pressure. Learn about five foods and the nutrients they contain that may help reduce blood pressure.
Jun 7th, 2022

Why Losing Belly Fat Is Good for Your Heart
Being overweight is bad for your heart, but there's another factor that's worse, and that's carrying too much weight in your belly. Belly fat dramatically increases your risk of developing clogged arteries and heart disease.
May 9th, 2022

Tips for Recovering From a Heart Attack
The path you take while recovering from a heart attack dramatically influences your future. Following our tips for recovery can improve your quality of life, restore optimum health, and help you prevent another heart attack.
Apr 12th, 2022

Steps You Can Take if Heart Problems Run in Your Family
Heart problems may run in your family, but your genes do not dictate your future. You can change the way your genes work and outsmart your family history by following a few essential steps. Here's what you need to know to maintain a healthy heart.
Mar 14th, 2022

What to Do About Chest Pain
Chest pain doesn't always mean you have a heart problem, but it's the top sign of a heart attack, and you should never ignore that potential risk. Learn the five steps you should take if you have chest pain.
Feb 13th, 2022

Heart Healthy Tips Every Woman Should Know
Many women don't worry about their heart health until middle age or older. By then, cardiovascular conditions have already developed, and you could be on the road to a heart attack. It's never too early to take action to protect your heart.
Jan 16th, 2022

What to Expect From Stress Testing
Stress testing reveals information about your heart that can't be obtained through any other type of diagnostic test, helping to find heart problems and guide treatments. Learn what happens before, during, and after a stress test.
Dec 13th, 2021

Are Varicose Veins a Health Concern?
If you believe that varicose veins only affect your appearance and they’re not a health concern, it’s time to put that myth aside. The fact is that varicose veins are the symptom of an underlying vein problem that can cause serious complications.
Nov 19th, 2021

Signs You Have Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease, and without treatment it often leads to a heart attack and death. If you recognize the signs and symptoms of coronary artery disease, you’ll know when it’s time to seek treatment.
Oct 21st, 2021

Adjusting to Life With Hypertension
Hypertension doesn’t force you to change your life. You won’t have symptoms or feel sick — at least not until hypertension causes a disease or heart attack. To prevent health problems, you need to make lifestyle changes to lower your blood pressure.
Sep 16th, 2021

Anxiety and Chest Pain: Are They Linked?
Many people who go to the emergency room for chest pain learn they’re not having a heart attack. Of those who don’t have a heart condition, 30-40% discover that their chest pain was caused by anxiety. Here’s how anxiety and chest pain are linked.
Aug 17th, 2021

What Happens During an Echocardiogram?
When you have symptoms that suggest a heart condition, you don’t want to wait to learn the source of the problem. That’s when you need the images created by a safe, painless echocardiogram. Here’s what to expect during an echocardiogram.
Jul 19th, 2021

Five Heart-Healthy Habits That Could Elongate Your Life
If you want to stay healthy and live longer, you owe it to yourself to learn about these five heart-healthy habits. They may be as close as you’ll ever get to the fountain of youth, because following them may add 12-14 years to your life.
Jun 29th, 2021

What You Need to Know About Atrial Fibrillation
Most people think they’d know if they had an irregular heartbeat, but that’s not always true. Atrial fibrillation may not give you any warnings until you have a stroke. Here are some other things you need to know about atrial fibrillation.
May 23rd, 2021

Life After a Heart Attack
Life after a heart attack depends on your age, health, and the severity of your attack. But everyone benefits from rehabilitation, where you learn steps that guide your recovery and lay the foundation for returning to a life you enjoy.
Apr 16th, 2021

What Can You Expect From a Stress Test?
A stress test is one of the most important tools available for diagnosing heart conditions such as coronary artery disease and arrhythmias. It’s also a safe test even if you’re seldom active or can’t exercise.
Mar 14th, 2021

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Chest Pain
You know you shouldn’t ignore chest pain, yet many people do. There are lots of reasons to put off getting medical attention, but none of them count when your life may be on the line. Here are the top four reasons you shouldn’t ignore chest pain.
Feb 17th, 2021

Lifestyle Adjustments for Living With Hypertension
Did you know that lifestyle changes can prevent hypertension and dramatically lower your blood pressure after it gets too high? Though it’s never easy to change your diet and stick with a regular exercise routine, the payoff is worth the effort.
Jan 17th, 2021

Is Angina a Precursor to a Heart Attack?
Angina (chest pain) can be a symptom of heart disease, serve as a warning to an impending heart attack, or be the sign that you’re having a heart attack. Sound confusing? Read on to learn about angina and how to know when you need emergency care.
Dec 10th, 2020

What an Echocardiogram Can Reveal About Your Heart
When you experience symptoms of a heart problem, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or swelling in your lower legs and feet, chances are you’ll have an echocardiogram. Learn what an echocardiogram shows about your heart.
Nov 16th, 2020

How an Atrial Fibrillation Screening Can Help Prevent a Stroke
When you have atrial fibrillation, your risk of having a stroke dramatically increases. With atrial fibrillation screening, we can identify your risks and detect the problem before you have symptoms. Then we can start life-saving stroke prevention.
Oct 21st, 2020

When Varicose Veins Are Symptomatic
Up to 35% of adults have varicose veins, and for many people, the problem is much more than a cosmetic issue. Varicose veins often cause pain and lead to serious complications, problems you can avoid with our advanced treatments.
Sep 24th, 2020