Cardiac Testing

Cardiac Testing services offered in Ocala, FL

When chest pain, dizziness, or difficulty breathing strike, you need quick, advanced cardiac testing at Marion Heart Center & Marion Physician Associates in Ocala, Florida. Its board-certified cardiologists and experienced medical team perform comprehensive cardiac testing, allowing you to get a prompt diagnosis and treatment in the comfort of a peaceful office rather than an emergency room. Call the Downtown or Ocala West office at the first sign of heart symptoms or request a cardiac testing appointment through online booking today.

When would I need cardiac testing?

Cardiac testing assesses your heart function, diagnoses heart attacks and heart disease, and monitors the effectiveness of heart-related treatments.

You may need screening with cardiac testing if you have a family history of heart disease or a condition that boosts your risk for heart problems, like diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.

You should schedule an immediate exam if you experience symptoms such as:

Chest pain or pressure
Lightheadedness or dizziness
Shortness of breath
Fatigue and tiredness
Irregular, fast, or pounding heartbeat
Fluttery feeling in your chest
Swollen legs, ankles, feet, or abdomen
Urinating frequently during the night

Difficulty exercising (without getting winded) or getting out of breath when walking up stairs are other common signs of heart disease.

What cardiac testing might I need?

The caring Marion Heart Center & Marion Physician Associates team performs the following diagnostic tests:

Electrocardiograms (EKG)

EKGs reveal your heart’s electrical activity, showing the rhythm, timing, and strength of your heartbeat. Your provider places self-adhesive electrodes on your chest, arms, and legs. The electrodes send electrical signals to the EKG machine, which prints heart activity on a graph.

Echocardiograms

Echocardiograms use safe, painless sound waves (ultrasound) to create images. The images allow your provider to see the heart’s structures, movement in the muscles and valves, and blood flow through the vessels and heart.

Cardiac ultrasound also reveals inflammation, blood clots, cholesterol plaques, and fluid accumulating around the heart.

Your provider does the ultrasound by placing a handheld device (ultrasound transducer) against the skin over your heart or blood vessels.

Carotid ultrasound

Carotid ultrasounds show if fatty plaque blocks blood flow in the arteries carrying oxygen-rich blood to your brain.

A venous scan may also be necessary to identify blockages that could lead to a stroke or heart attack.

What type of cardiac testing is a stress test?

A stress test shows how your heart functions when forced to work harder than usual. In an exercise stress test, your provider records your EKG and blood pressure while you exercise on a treadmill. However, they may use medications instead of exercise to boost your heart rate.

A nuclear stress test involves an intravenous (IV) injection of a specialized medication that goes through your bloodstream and is visible on a PET (positive emission tomography) scan.

By scanning your heart before and after the stress test and comparing the images, your provider can find heart problems that aren’t visible with other imaging techniques.

Call Marion Heart Center & Marion Physician Associates immediately if you have heart symptoms or request an appointment online today.