Questions patients ask

Call (501) 767-4278. The Hot Springs office at 110 Crackerbox Lane is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 to 5:00 PM.

The Mena office at 400 Crestwood Circle, Suite J runs on scheduled clinic days that vary each month. If you want to be seen in Mena, call first and ask which days the clinic is running.

Yes. The practice uses an athenahealth patient portal. You will find the link on the contact page.

Call the office before your visit and ask. The team can check your plan with you.

A photo ID, your insurance card, a current list of your medications with doses, and any records or test results you already have. It also helps to write down your symptoms and your questions before you come. The What to Expect page has the full checklist.

A test that shows how blood flows through the arteries that supply your heart. A thin, flexible tube called a catheter is passed through a blood vessel, usually at the wrist or the groin, and a contrast dye makes the arteries show up on an X-ray. It shows whether any artery is narrowed, where, and by how much.

Talk to your doctor about why the test is being recommended for you.

Usually, yes. Most people are given medicine to help them relax, and the entry site is numbed first. Your care team will tell you what to expect for your own procedure.

A way to open a narrowed artery from the inside. A small balloon on the end of a catheter is inflated at the narrowing to widen the channel, without open surgery.

Talk to your doctor about whether it is an option for you.

A small mesh tube placed inside a narrowed artery during a procedure, to hold it open and help blood flow. It stays in place permanently.

If you have a stent, talk to your doctor before stopping any medication you were prescribed with it.

A catheter-based procedure that removes plaque from inside an artery to restore blood flow, without open surgery. Talk to your doctor about whether it applies to you.

The main risk factors are high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and a family history of heart disease. Most of these can be treated or changed. Family history cannot, but it is worth knowing and telling your doctor about.

Yes. High blood pressure often causes no symptoms at all. Over time it strains the heart and damages the walls of blood vessels, which raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. That is why it is checked more than once, and why treatment matters even when you feel well.

Talk to your doctor about what your readings mean.

High blood sugar over a long time damages blood vessels, including the arteries that supply the heart. Managing diabetes is part of protecting your heart. Talk to your doctor about your own targets.

High cholesterol contributes to plaque building up inside artery walls. Plaque narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow. A blood test measures your levels. Talk to your doctor about what your numbers mean for you.

Eat a diet low in salt and high in fruit and vegetables, stay physically active, and do not smoke. If you have been prescribed medication for blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes, take it as directed.

Talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise plan, especially if you already have a heart condition.

No. Do not stop or change a prescribed medication without talking to your doctor first. Many heart conditions cause no symptoms, so feeling well is often a sign the treatment is working, not that you no longer need it. If a medication is causing side effects, say so. There are often alternatives.

Yes. Stopping smoking helps prevent further damage to your arteries at any age. Talk to your doctor about support to help you quit.

Call 911 for chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, or any symptom you think may be an emergency. Do not wait for an appointment or a call back.

No. Please do not send medical details through this website. It is not a secure or monitored channel. Call the office at (501) 767-4278 instead, and call 911 in an emergency.