PDA, a congenital heart disease, normally gets diagnosed and treated at a young age. However, it can be undetected early on and diagnosed later in life.
You will meet with a cardiologist and discuss your symptoms. You will also have an in-depth conversation about your medical history, medicines and more.
Your provider will examine you for signs of a potential PDA. Because PDA causes a heart murmur, your cardiologist will listen carefully to your heart with a stethoscope.
An echocardiogram (echo) records activity of the heart using high-frequency sound waves, or ultrasound. A technologist called a sonographer conducts this test by applying gel to your chest that makes it easier for sound waves to reach your heart. The sonographer will then wave a device called a transducer across your chest to send sound waves to your heart. The echo created by those waves is translated into images of your heart as it beats.
Providing information about your heart’s electrical activity, an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) can help your doctor understand your heart rate and whether you have an arrhythmia. Alternatively, your provider might ask you to wear a monitor for a day or two to record how well your heart’s circuitry is working.
