An echocardiogram is a test that uses high-frequency sound waves to check the structure and function of your heart. It creates moving pictures of your heart. Echocardiogram is a safe test as it does not involve radiation. In order to diagnose heart illness, track the progression of heart valve disease over time, or assess how effectively cardiac therapies are working, your doctor may advise a Port Saint Lucie echocardiography. An echocardiogram can help your doctor diagnose various heart problems, including an enlarged heart, weakened heart muscles, heart valve issues, congenital heart defects, and blood clots or tumors. There are several types of echocardiograms, and each offers unique benefits. Here are the common types of echocardiograms.
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Transthoracic echocardiogram
A transthoracic echocardiogram is the standard test. It involves your provider putting a hand-held device known as a transducer on your chest. High-frequency vibrations are transmitted by the gadget, which bounce off your heart and produce pictures. Your provider may apply a small amount of gel on your chest to help create clearer images. Transthoracic echocardiography helps measure your heart’s electrical activity.
Transesophageal echocardiography
Your healthcare provider may recommend Transesophageal echocardiography to get more detailed heart images. This test involves your provider guiding a small transducer down your through your mouth to your stomach. Your doctor will numb your throat to make the test easier and prevent the gag reflex. The transducer goes directly behind your heart, allowing your doctor to get a clearer view of your heart problems and observe some heart chambers not visible on the transthoracic echocardiogram.
Stress echocardiography
Stress echocardiography uses transthoracic echocardiogram. But your doctor takes heart pictures before and after you exercise or take medications that make your heart beat faster. Your doctor may recommend you exercise on a treadmill or a stationary bicycle and use an echocardiogram to collect data at intervals. Stress echocardiography enables your doctor to check how your heart performs under stress. It measures your heart rhythm, breathing, and blood pressure.
Three-dimensional echocardiography
Three-dimensional echocardiography uses Transesophageal or transthoracic echocardiography to create 3-D pictures of your heart. Your doctor takes multiple heart images from different angles. Sometimes, your doctor may administer a contrast agent as an injection before the test to get clearer pictures. Three-dimensional echocardiography may be beneficial before a heart valve surgery or to diagnose heart issues in children. The test shows how well your heart pumps.
Fetal echocardiography
Fetal echocardiography is used on pregnant women, usually between weeks eighteen to twenty-two of pregnancy. The test involves your doctor placing the transducer over the pregnant woman’s abdomen to check for heart issues in the fetus. Fetal echocardiography does not involve radiation; hence safe for an unborn child.
Doppler echocardiogram
When sound waves strike the blood cells in your heart, a Doppler echocardiography can detect variations in pitch. Echocardiography that is transthoracic and transesophageal is used. The Doppler echocardiography detects the direction and rate of blood flow through your heart. It can also assist in monitoring the pressure and blood flow in your heart arteries.
Schedule an appointment at TLC Medical Group Inc for an echocardiogram test to monitor the functioning of your heart.
