When to See a Cardiologist?

Your primary care doctor will refer you to a cardiologist for symptoms or issues such as:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pains
• Dizziness
• Heart murmur
• Changes in your electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
• A family history of heart conditions or heart-related illnesses

Depending on your heart health concern, you may see one or more cardiology experts for your cardiac disease prevention or treatment. Your cardiologist may perform tests including:

• Echocardiogram – A painless test that uses sound waves to create moving pictures of your heart. The pictures show the size and shape of your heart and how well your heart's chambers and valves are working.
• Ambulatory ECG – A recording during activity to look for abnormal heart rhythms.
• Exercise Test – A test that provides information about how your heart works during physical stress or exercise. During this test, you exercise (walk or run on a treadmill or pedal a stationary bike) to make your heart work hard and beat fast.
• Cardiac Catheterization – A procedure in which a long, thin, flexible tube is put into a blood vessel in your arm, groin or neck and threaded to your heart. Through the catheter, your doctor can do diagnostic tests and treatments on your heart. This procedure may be performed by an interventional cardiologist, who works with your cardiologist.

Always mention any heart-related symptoms to your primary care doctor immediately so that you can be referred to our dedicated team of highly-skilled cardiologists.