What is echocardiography?
Echocardiography uses ultrasound to produce detailed images of your heart. In addition to revealing the heart’s structure, echocardiography uses Doppler ultrasound to show blood flow and create moving images of the muscles and valves.
To perform echocardiography, your provider uses a device called a transducer. The transducer sends sound waves into your body. As the sound waves bounce off tissues, they send an echo back to the transducer.
The transducer transmits the information to a computer. After the computer translates the data, real-time images of your heart appear on a monitor.
What does echocardiography reveal about my heart?
Your echocardiogram provides the information needed to diagnose the cause of symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath. The images reveal:
- Blood clots
- Chamber size
- Muscle thickness
- Blood vessel blockages
- Areas of muscle damage
- Pumping strength
- Fluid buildup or inflammation
- Valve and muscle function
- Blood flow through the heart
If you currently take medications for a heart condition or have had a heart procedure, your provider at Pinnacle Healthcare System also uses echocardiography to assess the effectiveness of your treatment.
What heart conditions are diagnosed with echocardiography?
The experienced cardiac team at Pinnacle Healthcare System often diagnose conditions such as:
- Heart failure
- Inflamed pericardium
- Fluid around the heart
- Leaky heart valves
- Heart valve narrowing (stenosis)
- Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy)
- Atrial fibrillation and other heart arrhythmias
- Coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis)
- Muscle damage due to a heart attack
After diagnosing your heart condition, your provider uses information obtained during your echocardiography to guide treatment decisions.
What type of echocardiography might I receive?
The team at Pinnacle Healthcare System perform three types of echocardiography:
Transthoracic echocardiography
During transthoracic echocardiography, your provider places the transducer against your chest and moves it over your skin to obtain images of your heart.
Stress echocardiography
This type of echocardiography combines transthoracic ultrasound with a stress test. You have an echocardiogram before and after your stress test. By comparing the two images, your provider can see the impact of exercise on your heart.
Transesophageal echocardiography
Compared to transthoracic ultrasound, this type of echocardiography produces better images of some areas of your heart. Your provider uses a narrow transducer that they guide down your throat and into the esophagus, positioning it directly behind your heart.
If you have questions or need to schedule echocardiography, call Pinnacle Healthcare System or book an appointment online today.
