What an Echocardiogram Can Reveal About Your Heart

If you have any symptoms that suggest you could have a heart problem, the first thing your doctor does is order an echocardiogram. An echocardiogram is fast, safe, and easy—we can even do one right here in our office. We’ll get immediate images of your heart and be able to move one step closer to diagnosing your issue.

At Healthstone Primary, in Weston, Pembroke Pines, and Davie, Florida, our health specialists can tell you if symptoms such as chest pain mean you need an echocardiogram and get yours completed as quickly as possible.  

Here’s a look at what an echocardiogram can reveal about your heart health. 

What an echocardiogram tells us

An echocardiogram is similar to an ultrasound. It uses safe sound waves to create real-time images of your heart. There is no X-ray, exposure to radiation, or invasive procedures.

The echocardiogram shows us the size and shape of your heart and gives us a clear image of the blood vessels carrying blood through your heart. It also reveals:

• Size of chambers in your heart and pumping strength
• Muscle wall thickness and areas of muscle damage
• Blood vessel structure and valve functionality
• Blood actually moving through your heart
• Any potential blood clots forming in your heart or blood vessels
• Tumor growth in your heart
• Health of your pericardium (the membrane surrounding your heart)

We use different types of echocardiograms depending on what we’re looking for.

Different types of echocardiograms

We have several types of echocardiography, depending on what we need to see and learn.

Two-dimensional echocardiography

A 2D echocardiogram shows your heart’s structures and movement in real time. We can also use a 3D version if we need more detailed information about the small moving parts inside your heart.

Doppler echocardiography

Doppler echocardiography shows blood flow and helps us determine the amount of blood pumped with every heartbeat. This means we can quickly detect abnormal blood flow and trace it to the source of the issue.  

M-mode echocardiography

M-mode produces a one-dimensional tracing of your heart that helps us take the finest measurements. We can develop a clear picture of your heart's size and chambers, as well as its muscle wall thickness.

Diagnostic echocardiography  

Using an echocardiogram helps us with diagnosing the cause of your symptoms. Here are some of the heart conditions that can be revealed with echocardiography:

• Atherosclerosis (coronary artery disease)
• Atrial fibrillation and other heart arrhythmias
• Cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease)
• Congenital heart defects
• Damage due to a previous heart attack
• Fluid around the heart
• Impending heart failure
• Inflamed pericardium (the fluid-filled sac around your heart)
• Leaky heart valves
• Stenosis (heart valve narrowing)

To learn more about echocardiograms or to schedule an appointment, call your nearest Healthstone Primary location or contact us through our website to request an appointment.