What is an echocardiogram?
If you’re familiar with ultrasounds, you already know health care professionals use high-frequency sound waves to take a picture of what’s going on inside the body. The same way technicians use sound waves to safely capture an image of an unborn baby, Pinnacle Care Internal Medicine uses them to capture an image of your heart during an echocardiogram.
During an echocardiogram, the Pinnacle Care team bounces sound waves into your chest, where they reflect off the structures of your heart. Their resulting reflections create a picture of your heart.
This safe procedure captures the details of your heart, including images of its walls, valves, and chambers and the blood vessels that feed it. With this image, Pinnacle Care Internal Medicine can see:
- Whether or not your valves are operating normally and if any have narrowed
- How the walls of your heart move and if they are as thick as they should be
- If there are any holes in your heart
- If any of your blood is flowing in the wrong direction
- If any blood clots, tumors, or other growths are present
Do I need an echocardiogram?
Echocardiograms are used to diagnose heart disease and to identify other heart-related health challenges. Generally, Pinnacle Care Internal Medicine will recommend this test if you have a high risk for heart disease or unexplained symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath.
What happens during an echocardiogram?
You can come to Pinnacle Care Internal Medicine to have your echocardiogram performed in a welcoming, friendly, comfortable environment.
During your test, you relax on a table. Using tape or a sticky paste, your technician affixes electrodes to your chest to monitor your heartbeat during the echocardiogram.
Then, the technician spreads a gel over your chest. This eliminates air bubbles as the echocardiogram device moves over your chest so it can get the clearest possible picture of your heart.
Next, the technician performs the echocardiogram by moving a small device over your chest. They may ask you to hold your breath or adjust your position during the test to get a comprehensive view of your heart. The entire process is designed to be quick and painless.
If you’d like to have your echocardiogram performed my an expert in a comfortable environment, call Pinnacle Care Internal Medicine or book your appointment with them online.
