Echocardiography or echocardiogram uses sound waves to produce live images of your heart. It helps your doctor to study your heart and the function of its muscles and valves. The images give information about:
Medically reviewed by Elfred Landas, MD · General Practitioner · Maxicare Primary Care Center
Echocardiography or echocardiogram uses sound waves to produce live images of your heart. It helps your doctor to study your heart and the function of its muscles and valves. The images give information about:
An echocardiogram is painless and a key to determining the health of your heart muscles, especially after a heart attack. Echocardiography can help reveal heart defects in unborn babies.
There are different types of echocardiogram, such as:
It is a common type of echocardiogram in which a healthcare practitioner places a transducer on your chest over your heart. The transducer sends sound waves to your heart through your chest. The monitor attached to the transducer produces live images as the sound waves bounce back to the transducer.
Your doctor may recommend a transesophageal echocardiogram when a transthoracic echocardiogram does not produce definitive images or there is a need to visualize the back of the heart better.
In this test, your doctor passes a small transducer down your throat through your mouth. Your doctor will use local anesthesia on your throat to complete this procedure easily and eliminate the gag reflex.
The doctor then passes the transducer through your esophagus to look at the back of your heart. With a transducer connected to a monitor, your doctor can look behind your heart easily and know if there is any problem or issue.
Fetal echocardiography is used on pregnant women sometimes during their pregnancy weeks 18 to 22.
In this test, a healthcare practitioner places a transducer over the abdomen to check for heart problems in the fetus. A fetal echocardiogram is considered safe for an unborn child because it does not use any radiation, unlike an X-ray.
A 3D echocardiogram uses either transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography to produce a 3D image of your heart. This test involves multiple images from different angles. 3D echocardiography is used before heart valve surgery. Also, it is used to diagnose heart problems and issues in children.
A stress echocardiogram uses traditional transthoracic echocardiography. However, this test is done before and after you have used medicines to make your heart beat faster or you have exercised. This helps your doctor to study and understand how your heart performs under stress.
Your doctor will recommend an echocardiogram to look at your heart’s structure and how well it is functioning. This test also helps your doctor to find out:
For this test, you don’t need any specific or special preparation. However, your doctor may ask you to stop certain prescription and OTC medications.
Also, tell your doctor if you have a pacemaker.
Your doctor may also give further, more specific instructions if you have any other health condition.
Your echocardiogram results may show:
Your doctor may ask to repeat an echocardiogram to monitor your heart health after recommended medication and treatment. It also helps your doctor to map future treatments.
This test will not cause any major discomfort. You may feel a slight coolness on the skin due to gel on the transducer and slight pressure on your chest due to the transducer.
An echocardiogram will take approximately 40 minutes. After the test, you may get dressed and be asked to go home. The sonographer might schedule your appointment for the reading of the test.
Learn more about Heart Disease here.
Disclaimer
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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