Things an Echocardiogram Tells You About Your Heart

If you experience shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness, chest pain, or other symptoms that can indicate an underlying cardiovascular condition, you need an accurate diagnosis as quickly as possible so you can get proper treatment for it.

At Heart Vascular & Leg Center, our expert team of board-certified cardiologists and vascular specialists regularly performs echocardiograms, also known as cardiac ultrasound. The test uses high-frequency sound waves to construct a moving picture of your heart’s function. But what do the results tell your doctor about your heart health? 

The echo in depth

An echocardiogram is a painless diagnostic test that, among other things, measures the size and shape of your heart and shows how well your heart’s valves and chambers work. It allows us to observe areas of the heart’s muscle that don’t contract effectively, and it can detect problems like blood clots, fluid buildup, and issues with your aorta.

We may use an echocardiogram to determine:

• The size and shape of your heart
• The size, thickness, and movement of your heart’s walls
• How your heart moves during heartbeats
• The heart’s pumping strength
• If the heart’s valves are working correctly
• If blood leaks backward through your heart valves (regurgitation)
• If the heart valves are too narrow (stenosis)
• If a tumor or infectious growth lies around your heart valves
• Issues with the outer lining of your heart (the pericardium)
• Issues with the large blood vessels that enter and leave the heart
• Presence of blood clots in the heart’s chambers
• Abnormal holes between the heart’s chambers

Armed with this information, your doctor can make recommendations for effective treatment.

What is a stress echocardiogram?

Some cardiovascular problems, like coronary heart disease, are easier to diagnose when your heart works harder than usual and elevates your heart rate (beats per minute).

If you have a standard stress test, you walk on a treadmill or pedal a stationary bike for 15-20 minutes, making your heart work harder. If you aren’t physically able to do the exercise, we may give you a medication that makes your heart work harder temporarily, known as a pharmacological stress test.

The stress echocardiogram captures moving images of your heart when it has to work harder than normal. It not only shows how your heart’s chambers and valves function under stress, but it also reveals whether you have any areas of weak or dead heart muscle that no longer contract properly.

The test typically takes about 30-60 minutes. We follow up with you about the test results and devise an individualized treatment plan based on the information.

If you’re showing symptoms of a cardiovascular problem, it may be time to come into Heart Vascular & Leg Center for an echocardiogram to diagnose your condition and determine the proper treatment. To get started, call our office at 661-443-5524 to set up a consultation, or book online today.