Heart health concerns many American adults. With increasing awareness about cardiovascular diseases, it is important to understand the tools your doctor may use to assess your cardiovascular health and function. One such tool is the echocardiogram, a non-invasive, patient-friendly test that provides valuable insights into what is going on in your heart.
Here is more on this topic.
What Is an Echocardiogram?
An echocardiogram uses high-frequency sound waves to create real-time images of your heart. Think of it as a heart sonogram, very similar to the sonograms used for fetal assessment during pregnancy.
A heart echo test allows your doctor to view the structure and function of your heart’s valves and chambers. Unlike X-rays, echocardiograms deliver no radiation whatsoever, making them a safe option for evaluating heart health in most patients.
Why Would I Need a Heart Echo Test?
There are several reasons why your doctor may order an echocardiogram for you. Here are some of the most common ones.
To Assess Your Symptoms
If you are experiencing symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath or irregular heartbeats, an echocardiogram can help your primary care physician or cardiologist identify their causes.
To Monitor Cardiac Conditions
For individuals with known heart conditions, such as mitral valve prolapse, periodic heart echo tests can monitor any changes in cardiac health.
To Look at Your Heart Before Surgery
Before undergoing heart surgery, an echocardiogram shows how your heart is functioning and helps determine if surgery or other therapies are necessary.
To Monitor Your Heart After You Have Had Surgery
After heart surgery, echocardiograms track recovery progress and the success of the procedure. They yield valuable information which helps your doctor adjust your treatment plan.
What Kinds of Heart Echocardiograms Are There?
Here are the most common kinds of echocardiograms:
Transthoracic Echocardiogram
This is the most common type of heart echo test. With a transthoracic echo, the technician places a handheld transducer on the chest. It delivers sound waves into the heart. This produces both still and video images of the heart and enables the technician to take certain measurements of heart structure.
A transthoracic echocardiogram is painless and takes about 40 to 60 minutes. It needs no special preparation beyond avoiding drink, food, caffeine and smoking four hours before the test. Additionally, you can drive yourself home afterwards and resume normal activities.
Transesophageal Echocardiogram
In this procedure, the transducer is inserted down the esophagus to get a closer view of the back of the heart and the large blood vessels, such as the aorta. Since this heart echo test is more invasive and involves sedation, patients need someone to drive them home afterward.
Echo Stress Test
This cardiac test assesses how your heart performs under stress–either exercise or medication to elevate your heart rate. It helps detect coronary artery disease and evaluates the effectiveness of certain cardiac treatments. As with the transesophageal test, a ride home from an echo stress test is required. Patients should avoid eating, smoking and caffeine beforehand.
What Will the Results Tell My Doctor About My Heart?
Echocardiogram results provide comprehensive information on:
- Heart structure and function, or Insights into the size and shape of heart chambers and the performance of heart valves, such as the mitral or aortic valves
- Blood flow patterns, or detection of abnormal blood flow within the heart
- Presence of blood clots, the identification of clots or other potential problems with blood flow
- Heart muscle strength, a detailed look at how well your heart muscle pumps blood
These details help diagnose conditions such hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, septal defects (holes in the heart), congestive heart failure, valve prolapse or stenosis and more.
Echocardiograms in Irmo, SC
Echocardiograms are very important and reliable diagnostic tools in modern cardiology. From identifying the possibility of a health issue early on to monitoring your heart, these tests provide valuable insight into the structures and workings of your heart.
At SC Internal Medicine Associates & Rehabilitation, we have 11 board-certified family practice and internal medicine associates ready to help you manage your heart health. We provide various diagnostic tests that can help identify issues and monitor pre-existing conditions. With our internal medicine doctors, experience comprehensive care to ensure your heart is healthy.
If you have any questions about your heart health, give us a call at (803) 749-1111 or schedule a consultation through our appointment request form. We are proud to offer our patients comprehensive, patient-centered care with many state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment services. We look forward to serving you!
