An echocardiography can detect heart chamber issues, improper connections between the heart and major blood arteries, and complicated cardiac anomalies that are present from birth. These problems may lead to symptoms such as shortness of breath, pain in your chest, or fatigue. An echocardiography can also reveal whether you are at risk for developing such conditions. For example, patients who have undergone radiation therapy for cancer of the head/neck region are at increased risk for having damage to their hearts' electrical system. They should therefore have an echocardiography performed annually after completion of treatment to look for evidence of heart disease or other problems related to radiation exposure. Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, so it's important for us all to know how an echocardiography can help diagnose and treat patients with heart problems.