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Cardiologist
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. He/she may also have the patient get an echocardiogram, which will provide a clearer picture of the heart compared to an x-ray and will also let the doctor measure blood flow in the heart. An electrocardiogram (also known as an ECG and an EKG) 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 hooked up to an EKG.
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."
A medical doctor that 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.
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