In a bygone era, there was no way for doctors to see what was happening inside a patient's body without opening it up. And that procedure, even today, can come with unexpected and unnecessary risks. The invention of ultrasound technology allows cardiologists to see precisely how the heart muscle is functioning using the power of sound waves, and vascular ultrasound allows cardiologists to use that same power to investigate the veins and arteries that feed the heart.

Most often people associate the term ultrasound with the testing that doctors do on pregnant women to get clear images of their growing babies. But ultrasounds are not limited to obstetrics. The ultrasound is a technology harnesses the power of high-frequency sound waves to create an image of the inside of your body including, in this case, the flow of blood through your veins and arteries.

Time Magazine recently published an article detailing the “concerning rise” in heart attacks among pregnant women in the United States between 2002 and 2014. During that time the risk of heart attack during pregnancy, during labor, or after giving birth increased by 25%, and while the risk is still low overall it is worth doing your homework to learn about what you can do to protect yourself and your baby.

If you’ve ever been in cardiac care or seen Grey’s Anatomy on tv, you’ve probably heard of a test called the electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG). The electrocardiogram is a community used diagnostic test that measures the electrical activity of the heart including the rhythm, can test for pooling blood also known as ischemia, and can diagnose a heart attack. As an often mentioned test, the ECG still leaves some people with these frequently asked questions.

Stress tests are a common assessment used by cardiologists used to reveal potential issues in a patient’s heart. As the name suggests, during the course of your stress test the technician will stress your heart chemically or through exertion and then test its function. There are several different variations of this test though all work on the same model: stress then test.

Heart disease is a big umbrella phrase used to describe the many conditions that occur when your body begins to build up plaque on the inside of your artery walls. This process is called Atherosclerosis and when it builds up over time your arteries become more and more constricted and blood is no longer able to pass through. This can lead to heart attack, stroke, and the general weakening of the muscles that make up your heart. Fortunately, Atherosclerosis and the related heart conditions are in many cases preventable.