What is Echocardiogram?
An echocardiogram is a type of ultrasound that graphically represents the heart’s movement. An Echo test records the high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the heart’s valves and chambers. Doctors can detect heart function, heart chambers, size of the heart, heart’s beating, and pressure of the heart’s valves are working, among other diagnoses. Often, Echo tests are combined with Doppler imaging technology to show how blood is flowing across the heart’s valves.
Why is Echocardiogram perform?
Doctors want to investigate signs or symptoms of heart diseases, like shortness of breath, chest discomfort, swelling in the legs, or heart murmur, which can be detected during this procedure.
The doctor might also order other diagnostic tests like blood work or an electrocardiogram.
These are some of the reasons an Echocardiogram is performed:
- Determine the overall health of the heart before and after specific treatment or procedures.
- Evaluate heart-related conditions
- Identify irregular heartbeats
- Look for the cause of chest pain
- See how an implanted pacemaker is working
- Determine how well certain heart medicines are working
Preparation
An echocardiogram does not need special preparations depending on the type of Echocardiogram. If you have a transesophageal echocardiogram, the doctor will ask you not to eat for several hours before this procedure.