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Cardiologist
A cardiologist is a medical doctor who specializes in
cardiology. Cardiology is the study of the structure,
functions, and disorders of the heart and blood vessels,
as well as the diagnosis and treatment of such disorders.
Blood vessels are tubes in the body that carry blood. A
cardiologist determines the symptoms that a patient is
having such as shortness of breath, abnormal heartbeat,
and chest pain. To determine the cause of the problem, a
cardiologist may order an x-ray of the chest and/or an
echocardiogram.
An echocardiogram is a type of ultrasound study that provides a clearer picture of the
heart compared to an x-ray and also measures blood flow in the heart. An
electrocardiogram may be ordered, which will provide information about the electrical
activity that occurs before a heartbeat. Cardiologists also put patients through cardiac
stress tests, which involves the patient performing exercises while attached to an EKG.
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Depending on the cause of the problem, the cardiologist may recommend a change in
diet, exercise, prescribe medications, or send the patient to a heart surgeon.
Cardiologist comes from the Greek word "kardia" meaning "heart," and the Greek word
"logos" meaning "the study of." Put the two words together and you have "study of the
heart."
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