Condition we diagnose and treat

Specialists at Ascension St. Vincent's in Jacksonville deliver advanced care for common and complex heart conditions.

Understanding if your symptoms are related to a heart condition is important. Whether it’s minor fatigue or pain in your chest, don’t delay talking to a doctor to better understand and treat your heart condition or symptoms.

An aneurysm is a bulging, weak area in the wall of a blood vessel. It may occur in any blood vessel but most often develops in an artery rather than a vein. An aneurysm can be categorized by its location, shape, and cause. The most common type of aneurysm is in the aorta. The aorta is the largest artery in the body. The aorta carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the body. A thoracic aortic aneurysm occurs in the chest cavity. An abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs in the abdomen.

The aorta is the largest artery in the body. It sends blood with oxygen from the heart to the rest of the body. Some conditions, such as high blood pressure, can weaken an area of the aorta over time. This can cause a tear in the lining of that area. This most often happens in the part of the aorta closest to the heart. Less common is a tear in the lining of the abdominal aorta. An aortic dissection can also be caused by an aortic aneurysm.

An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm. An arrhythmia happens when there is a problem with the electrical system that is supposed to control a steady heartbeat. With a problem in the electrical system, your heart may beat too fast, too slow, or irregularly. Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm.

Atherosclerosis is a disease process that affects the walls of the heart arteries and other arteries of the body. Inflammation and plaque buildup can lead to artery stiffness and narrowing. The condition can start as early as late childhood to early adulthood. It can affect arteries all over the body. It can lead to many health problems, depending on which arteries in the body are affected. Narrowed heart arteries may lead to a heart attack. Narrowed arteries that bring blood to the brain can cause a stroke.

Any disorder that affects the heart muscle is called a cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy causes the heart to lose its ability to pump blood well. In some cases, the heart rhythm also becomes disturbed. This leads to irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias).

The carotid arteries are the main blood vessels that send blood and oxygen to the brain. It's called carotid artery disease when these vessels become narrowed. It may also be called carotid artery stenosis. The narrowing is caused by atherosclerosis. This is the buildup of fatty deposits, calcium, fibrous tissue and other cell debris that lines the inside of the artery. Carotid artery disease is like coronary artery disease. In that disease, buildup occurs in the arteries of the heart. That may cause a heart attack.

Carotid artery disease reduces the flow of oxygen to the brain. The brain needs a constant supply of oxygen to work. Even a brief pause in blood supply can cause problems. Brain cells start to die after just a few minutes without blood or oxygen. A stroke can result if the narrowing of the carotid arteries is severe enough that blood flow is blocked. It can block blood flow to the brain if a piece of plaque breaks off. This too can cause a stroke.

Our heart care team provides comprehensive care for congenital heart defects, which are abnormalities of the heart that occur as the baby's heart is developing during pregnancy, before the baby is born.

The heart is a muscle that pumps oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body. When you have heart failure, the heart can’t pump as well as it should. Or the heart muscle can’t relax and fill the pumping chamber with blood. Blood and fluid may back up into the lungs. This causes heart failure. Some parts of the body also don’t get enough oxygen-rich blood. This means they can't work well. These problems lead to the symptoms of heart failure, including shortness of breath, weight gain and swelling, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, belly pain and cough.

CAD is a disease that affects the arteries in your heart. These arteries supply oxygen and nutrients to your heart muscle. Sometimes, a fatty substance called plaque builds up along the inner walls of these arteries. This process is called atherosclerosis.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a serious condition where a blood clot forms in a deep vein, most often in the legs, which can lead to swelling, pain or more serious complications if left untreated.

A heart attack is also called a myocardial infarction (MI). It happens when one or more parts of the heart muscle don’t get enough oxygen. That occurs when blood flow to the heart muscle is narrowed or blocked. If you're feeling the symptoms of chest discomfort, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, nausea, or pain in the neck, jaw or arms, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.

The heart makes sounds as it beats. These sounds occur as the heart valves open and close to allow blood to flow through the heart. A heart murmur is an extra noise heard during a heartbeat. The noise is caused when blood does not flow smoothly through the heart. Heart murmurs can be innocent (harmless) or abnormal (caused by a heart problem).

This heart condition affects one or more of the heart's valves. If blood doesn't flow properly when the heart valves open, the reasons can be leaky valves (regurgitation), too narrow (stenosis), or not opening properly (atresia). Heart and valve conditions can lead to a heart attack or progressive heart failure.

Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls. The force is made with each heartbeat as blood is pumped from the heart into the blood vessels. High blood pressure, or hypertension, increases the risk of heart disease.

High cholesterol is a condition caused by excess cholesterol, a waxy, fatty substance in your body, which can lead to plaque buildup in your arteries. If not treated, high cholesterol can lead to heart disease and stroke.

Pericarditis occurs when the tissue surrounding the heart becomes inflamed, causing sharp chest pain, heart failure and fluid buildup around the heart. Infections, autoimmune disease and injury can cause this inflammation.

PAD is a common condition that occurs when narrowed arteries filled with plaque reduce blood flow to the legs, arms and feet, often causing pain, cramping or numbness while walking.

A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blood clot that develops in a blood vessel in the body (often in the leg). It then travels to a lung artery, where it suddenly blocks blood flow.

If you are experiencing chest pain, especially in combination with jaw or arm pain, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting or difficulty breathing, you might be having a heart attack.

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away.

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