What Are the Benefits of a Diagnostic Ultrasound of Your Heart?

Many helpful medical diagnostic tools and tests work to identify (or at least narrow down) the cause of your symptoms or health issues. 

In the realm of cardiovascular health, a diagnostic cardiac ultrasound — medically known as an echocardiogram — is a vital tool used to either identify a potential heart-related issue or discover why you’re having a heart-related problem. 

At Cardiovascular Institute of America in Tampa and Lutz, Florida, Muthu Velusamy, MD, FACC, ABVM, and the rest of our team are passionate about all the ways an echocardiogram can benefit your heart health.

In this month’s blog, we discuss why you might need an echocardiogram and what to expect when you undergo one. 

What is an echocardiogram?

An echocardiogram uses ultrasound to examine your heart function. It’s painless and noninvasive. During the procedure, we place a wand called a transducer on your chest. This wand sends out high-frequency sound waves. 

A computer interprets the sound waves and then creates images of your heart’s valves and chambers. These created images can provide us with the following information:

• Your heart’s size and shape
• The direction of blood flow in your heart
• The width of the chambers of your heart
• Your heart’s pumping function and strength
• The location of any growths or tumors

We can also see if there’s any undue pressure on your heart, fluid buildup around your heart, or blood clots in your heart. 

Who needs an echocardiogram?

There are several reasons our team may recommend you undergo an echocardiogram. Some of them include:

• Investigating why you’re having symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath
• Confirming or ruling out heart disease
• Routinely checking your heart as part of your heart disease treatment plan
• Checking to see how well your heart disease treatment plan is working
• Examining your heart before you undergo surgery

We may also want to perform an echocardiogram if you have an unexplained irregular heartbeat that we’ve discovered through other routine exams. 

An echocardiogram can find and diagnose heart issues such as a congenital heart defect, valve disease, cardiomyopathy, infective endocarditis, pericardial disease, and aortic aneurysms. 

What are the benefits of an echocardiogram?

Because an echocardiogram is noninvasive, there aren’t really any downsides or risks in undergoing one. This type of imaging test also doesn’t use radiation like other screenings, such as X-rays and CT scans.

If you have a heart condition or you’re at high risk for developing one, getting an echocardiogram regularly can help detect and/or prevent serious complications before they severely impact your health. 

For expert screening and diagnosis of heart-related issues, look no further than Cardiovascular Institute of America. Schedule your echocardiogram by calling our office location nearest you or booking online today.