cardiologist or primary?

[jjwalker]

My husband has a family history of heart problems (aunt has a pacemaker, uncle had heart surgery at an early age, father has arrythmia & extra tissue on his heart). He enjoys long distance running (up to 25 miles a week) & had a strange experience the other day (he went to his knees when he experience what he described as an earthquake go back & forth across his chest, nausea & dizziness). Should he see a cardiologist or go to his primary care physician?  thank you.

[Fionajnz]

An ER visit at the time with chest pain like he described would have been warranted.  He needs to be reviewed in a timely fashion. If he can see his PCP quicker than a cardiologist then he needs to go.  Either will be able to ascertain if he had a cardiac event in recent days.

I hope you get some reassurance soon.

Fiona

[Cleveland Clinic]

He should see a cardiologist.  He will likely have an echocardiogram and even a stress test ordered early on.  

[jjwalker]

thank you fiona.  He refused to go to the ER the night it happened & promised to go to an urgent care when he returned from out of town two days later.  So I was able to get him in with a primary care physician sooner than a cardiologist.. Just wasn't sure if they would have the proper tools to determine what happened.  Thanks for that confirmation & for your post. Very much appreciated..