What to expect when going to a cardiologist

Question

My OBGYN is sending me to a cardiologist because I mentioned to her that I'm having trouble walking or standing for more than 20-30min. Then my feet hurt,and feel out of breath, and kind of feel dizzy also. So I have an appointment today with a cardiologist and I'm not sure what he is going to do. What should I expect?

Answer

I go to the cardiologist all the time because I have a heart murmur, but since this is my first pregnancy and I'm only 4 weeks along, I haven't been yet. Usually when I go, they give me an echocardiogram, which is when they put all the sticky electrodes all over your chest, arms, abdomen, and by your ankles to measure your heart rate and to check for any abnormalities. It prints out this long sheet of paper that shows each individual beat. Depending on how far along you are, they might do something similar to a stress test where they ask you to walk on a treadmill for a few minutes while you have electrodes attached to you. I have also had tests done where the electrodes are actually hooked up to a monitor similar to an ultrasound and they actually let me see and hearmy heartbeats on the screen to help me better understand my murmur. They will probably do a variety of tests to try to pinpoint the problem. Just try to be as relaxed as possible, and don't drink anything with caffeine before you go. :)

Answer

Oof, that is rough. Good luck -- hope it goes well!

What to expect when going to a cardiologist

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