Can someone tell me what an echocardiogram consists of?

Question

I am getting nervous as my date nears but I think I'm more nervous for the results. What can they find while analyzing my ECG? I am also getting a holter monitor for 48 hours, what can they learn from that?

Answer 1

The echo cardiogram is nothing to worry about. It's just an ECG with an echo added to allow them to observe the functioning of your heart on a monitor in real time. I've had them done still and with running on a treadmill first to get the heart really pumping. They're usually done because the doctor heard something unusual while listening to your heart. Most generally the EECG shows that what they heard was minor or not a problem. I've never had a holter monitor so can't answer that part. Good luck.

Answer 2

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of your heart. It is like the ultrasound that they do when women are pregnant- except instead of looking in the uterus - they look at your heart. It helps the doctor determine how well your heart is beating, if there is any problems with the valves, between the chambers, if the heart is contracting and relaxing normally, or if any of the heart muscle is thickened from abnormal stress on the heart. They watch the blood flow through the heart to see if it is pumping through properly. The test does not hurt, and only takes about 15-20 min.

The holter monitor is a small device- about the size of a gameboy - with a bunch of wires attached to it. They place a bunch of stickers on your chest and attach the wires to them. This tells the doctor about your heart rate. If you are having this test they are either trying to determine if your heart beats too fast or too slow during the course of a normal day. It will record every heart beat you have during the period you are wearing it and allow them to see if the symptoms you describe are of concern, and if so the best way to treat them.

Since you are having both tests - I am going to assume that you must be having some abnormal heart beats from time to time - and they are trying to determine the cause. Most of the time - the abnormal flutters you feel are just normal. Almost everyone has them from time to time - but not everyone always feels them.

However, there is the occasion where there is an electrical conduction problem with the heart which would need treatment. It sounds like your doctor is being very responsible in trying to determine which is the case for you.

Answer 3

i develop into informed a similar element at 26, and that i had the perfect same concerns approximately it. An echo cardiogram provides medical doctors a extensive quantity of subjective and quantitative records approximately your heart. An experienced heart expert will actually hear to the sounds diverse factors of your heart make (subjective) and look at out how many diverse factors of your heart are moving. each and every each and every now and then an Echocardiogram is reported because of the fact low-grade heart murmurs are confusing to hearken to with an uncomplicated stethoscope. it may desire to be that your medical expert suspects, consisting of your loved ones background - you're able to have a heart murmur. If he won't be able to tell definitively only listening to you, it is this type of low grade it possibly isn't affecting your well-being negatively. So, it may desire to be he suspects some thing he's not telling you -- yet this isn't likely. many times a doctor will only come out and assist you be attentive to the explanation why. greater importantly, your echo cardiogram is going to be thoroughly diverse from all of us else's. whether you're healthful or undesirable - it is significant to get a baseline for the destiny. That way, in the event that they locate you're thoroughly healthful - and in 30 years you advance a heart issue - they are able to evaluate tests and notice what has replaced. examining a heart is definitely plenty greater complicated than only observing it or listening to it. modifications in how a heart artwork are a number of the main serious alerts of disease and you spot those purely by doing tests over the years. So i could say, greater advantageous than something, given your loved ones background - your medical expert is calling out for you and needs the try carried out because of the fact sometime you're possibly to income from it. additionally, the try is ordinary and once you're fortunate the technician would be a hotty. They rub lube on your chest and could placed their arm around you for many of it. affordable thrills. mmm.

Answer 4

This Topic I have searched out for will be informative and help you:

Procedure OverviewAn echocardiogram: resting and exercise

An echocardiogram is a noninvasive (the skin is not pierced) procedure used to assess the heart's function and structures. During the procedure, a transducer (like a microphone) sends out ultrasonic sound waves at a frequency too high to be heard.

When the transducer is placed on the chest at certain locations and angles, the ultrasonic sound waves move through the skin and other body tissues to the heart tissues, where the waves echo off of the heart structures.

The transducer picks up the reflected waves and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the echoes into an image of the heart walls and valves.



After the resting echocardiogram images have been obtained, the person will begin to exercise on a treadmill or stationary bicycle. The physician will compare the resting echocardiogram with the test done immediately after exercise.


An echocardiogram may utilize one or more of four special types of echocardiography, as listed below:

* M-mode echocardiography
This, the simplest type of echocardiography, produces an image that is similar to a tracing rather than an actual picture of heart structures. M-mode echo is useful for measuring heart structures, such as the heart's pumping chambers, the size of the heart itself, and the thickness of the heart walls.

* Doppler echocardiography
This Doppler technique is used to measure and assess the flow of blood through the heart's chambers and valves. The amount of blood pumped out with each beat is an indication of the heart's functioning. Also, Doppler can detect abnormal blood flow within the heart, which can indicate a problem with one or more of the heart's four valves, or with the heart's walls.

* color Doppler
Color Doppler is an enhanced form of Doppler echocardiography. With color Doppler, different colors are used to designate the direction of blood flow. This simplifies the interpretation of the Doppler technique.

* 2-D (2-dimensional) echocardiography
This technique is used to visualize the actual structures and motion of the heart structures. A 2-D echo view appears cone-shaped on the monitor, and the real-time motion of the heart's structures can be observed. This enables the physician to see the various heart structures at work and evaluate them.

Other related procedures that may be used to assess the heart include resting or exercise electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), Holter monitor, signal-averaged ECG, cardiac catheterization, chest x-ray, computed tomography (CT scan) of the chest, electrophysiological studies, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the heart, myocardial perfusion scans, radionuclide angiography, and ultrafast CT scan.
Reasons for the Procedure

An echocardiogram may be performed for further evaluation of signs or symptoms that may suggest:

* atherosclerosis - a gradual clogging of the arteries over many years by fatty materials and other substances in the blood stream

* cardiomyopathy - an enlargement of the heart due to thickening or weakening of the heart muscle

* congenital heart disease - defects in one or more heart structures that occur during formation of the fetus, such as a ventricular septal defect (hole in the wall between the two lower chambers of the heart)

* congestive heart failure - a condition in which the heart muscle has become weakened to an extent that blood cannot be pumped efficiently, causing buildup (congestion) in the blood vessels and lungs, and edema (swelling) in the feet, ankles, and other parts of the body

* aneurysm - a dilation of a part of the heart muscle or the aorta (the large artery that carries oxygenated blood out of the heart to the rest of the body), which may cause weakness of the tissue at the site of the aneurysm

* valvular heart disease - malfunction of one or more of the heart valves that may cause an obstruction of the blood flow within the heart

* cardiac tumor - a tumor of the heart that may occur on the outside surface of the heart, within one or more chambers of the heart (intracavitary), or within the muscle tissue of the heart

* pericarditis - an inflammation or infection of the sac that surrounds the heart

An echocardiogram may be performed to assess the heart’s function and structures.

There may be other reasons for your physician to recommend an echocardiogram.
Risks of the Procedure

For some patients, having to lie still on the examination table for the length of the procedure may cause some discomfort or pain.

There may be other risks depending upon your specific medical condition. Be sure to discuss any concerns with your physician prior to the procedure.

Before the Procedure

* Your physician will explain the procedure to you and offer you the opportunity to ask any questions that you might have about the procedure.
* Generally, no prior preparation, such as fasting or sedation, is required.
* Notify your physician of all medications (prescription and over-the-counter) and herbal supplements that you are taking.
* Notify your physician if you have a pacemaker.
* Based upon your medical condition, your physician may request other specific preparation.

During the Procedure

An echocardiogram may be performed on an outpatient basis or as part of your stay in a hospital. Procedures may vary depending on your condition and your physician’s practices.



Generally, an echocardiogram follows this process:

1. You will be asked to remove any jewelry or other objects that may interfere with the procedure. You may wear your glasses, dentures, or hearing aids if you use any of these.

2. You will be asked to remove clothing and will be given a gown to wear.

3. You will lie on a table or bed, positioned on your left side. A pillow or wedge may be placed behind your back for support.

4. You will be connected to an ECG monitor that records the electrical activity of the heart and monitors the heart during the procedure using small, adhesive electrodes. The ECG tracings that record the electrical activity of the heart will be compared to the images displayed on the echocardiogram monitor.

5. The room will be darkened so that the images on the echo monitor can be viewed by the technologist.

6. The technologist will place warmed gel on your chest and then place the transducer probe on the gel. You will feel a slight pressure as the technologist positions the transducer to get the desired image of your heart.

7. During the test, the technologist will move the transducer probe around and apply varying amounts of pressure to obtain images of different locations and structures of your heart. The amount of pressure behind the probe should not be uncomfortable. If it does make you uncomfortable, however, let the technologist know.

8. After the procedure has been completed, the technologist will wipe the gel from your chest and remove the ECG electrode pads. You may then put on your clothes.

After the Procedure

You may resume your usual diet and activities unless your physician advises you differently.


Generally, there is no special type of care following an echocardiogram. However, your physician may give you additional or alternate instructions after the procedure, depending on your particular situation.




You can see a demo of the pocedure available on the link given below:
http://cardio.practicestudio.net/Cardio_EMR_Procedures.aspx

Answer 5

viewing your heart in 3 dimentionwith doppler