Services & Evaluations
The sounds your doctor hears using a stethoscope while your heart beats are called heart murmurs.
Innocent heart murmurs are sounds made by blood circulating through the heart’s chambers and valves, or through blood vessels near the heart. Innocent murmurs are common in children and are harmless. These heart murmurs may also be referred to as “functional” or “physiologic” murmurs.
A high percentage of children are likely to have had an innocent heart murmur at some time. Innocent murmurs may disappear and then reappear. When a child’s heart rate changes, such as during excitement or fear, these innocent murmurs may become louder or softer. This still doesn’t signal that the innocent murmur is cause for concern.
If your doctor hears a heart murmur when listening to your child’s heart, he or she may recommend additional testing to confirm that the murmur is innocent.
Unless testing suggests that further inquiry is warranted, no next steps may be necessary. With an innocent heart murmur, your child won’t need medication, and doesn't have a heart problem or heart disease. You don't need to pamper or restrict your child’s diet or activities. Your child can be as active as any other normal, healthy child.
Most innocent murmurs disappear when a child reaches adulthood, but some adults still have them.
Arrhythmias can produce a broad range of symptoms and results. Your experience with arrhythmia may also differ depending on the type. For instance, a single premature beat may be felt as a “palpitation” or a “skipped beat.” Premature beats that occur often or in rapid succession may increase awareness of heart palpitations or a “fluttering” sensation in the chest or neck.
That same “fluttering” or “quivering” is associated with atrial fibrillation (AFib or AF), which is a particular type of arrhythmia.
When arrhythmias (including AFib) last long enough to affect how well the heart works, more serious symptoms may develop:
Fatigue or weakness
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Fainting or near-fainting spells
Rapid heartbeat or pounding in the chest
Shortness of breath and anxiety
Chest pain or pressure
In extreme cases, collapse and sudden cardiac arrest
Important note: If you have chest pain or pressure, you may be having a heart attack. Call 911 immediately.
Syncope is a temporary loss of consciousness usually related to insufficient blood flow to the brain. It's also called fainting or "passing out."
It most often occurs when blood pressure is too low (hypotension) and the heart doesn't pump enough oxygen to the brain. It can be benign or a symptom of an underlying medical condition.
Syncope is a symptom that can be due to several causes, ranging from benign to life-threatening conditions. Many non life-threatening factors, such as overheating, dehydration, heavy sweating, exhaustion or the pooling of blood in the legs due to sudden changes in body position, can trigger syncope. It's important to determine the cause of syncope and any underlying conditions.
However, several serious heart conditions, such as bradycardia, tachycardia or blood flow obstruction, can also cause syncope.
The exam helps determine whether it's safe for your child to participate in a certain sport. Most states actually require that kids and teens have a sports physical before they can start a new sport or begin a new competitive season. But even if a sports physical isn't required, doctors still highly recommend getting one.
Fetal echocardiography is a test similar to an ultrasound. This exam allows your doctor to better see the structure and function of your unborn child’s heart. It’s typically done in the second trimester, between weeks 18 to 24.
The exam uses sound waves that “echo” off the structures of the fetus’s heart. A machine analyzes these sound waves and creates a picture, or echocardiogram, of their heart’s interior. This image provides information on how your baby’s heart formed and whether it’s working properly.
It also enables your doctor to see the blood flow through the fetus’s heart. This in-depth look allows your doctor to find any abnormalities in the baby’s blood flow or heartbeat.
Please call our office at 650-558-8280 for more information.
Please call our office at 650-558-8280 for more information.
Please call our office at 650-558-8280 for more information.
Patients with an inherited cardiovascular condition may have few or no symptoms but still face significant risk of heart disease, including sudden cardiac arrest. Genetic testing can help save lives.
Cardiac Genetic Testing can:
Confirm a clinical diagnosis
Differentiates from other causes
Fulfills diagnostic criteria for complex heart disorders
Identifies at-risk asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic family members
Lipid profile or lipid panel is a panel of blood tests that serves as an initial screening tool for abnormalities in lipids, such as cholesterol and triglycerides. The results of this test can identify certain genetic diseases and can determine approximate risks for cardiovascular disease, certain forms of pancreatitis, and other diseases.