The diagnosis, which is completely painless for the patient, ultrasound imaging of the heart, enables the examination of large blood vessels of the heart as well as the examination of the heart itself, and in about thirty minutes your doctor can detect various damage to the heart and heart muscle.
In what situations is heart ultrasound used?
Echocardiography or ultrasound of the heart is used to diagnose the degree of damage to the heart muscle, immobility of the heart muscle or reduced mobility, but also to detect heart valve disease.
Ultrasound of the heart is also used in diseases of large blood vessels of the heart, inflammation of the heart valves and muscles, but also if the patient has chest pain and difficulty breathing. And in these cases, an ultrasound of the heart is performed to find the cause of these problems.
Who is heart ultrasound recommended for?
Patients who have symptoms of angina pectoris, or have some surgery on blood vessels, or have had an acute heart attack should have an ultrasound. Also, to all those who get tired in a short interval or whose doctor has diagnosed a heart arrhythmia.
In patients who have been diagnosed with hypertension, this recording is also performed, while it is obligatory to do an ultrasound of the heart if a heart murmur is detected for the first time, or in patients whose noise worsens.
Is preparation required?
The answer to this question is NO.
You are free to eat, drink and use your therapy.
How is it performed and does it radiate?
The examination by a specialist doctor is completely painless, and during the ultrasound, the patient lies on his back (or in another situation he turns to his left side and puts his left hand under his head). After taking a certain position determined by the doctor, a special gel is applied to the surface of a small plastic device that sends and receives ultrasound waves (probe).
The gel is needed during the examination in order to improve the visibility of the ultrasound wave, and the probe will be placed by the specialist on the chest in order to get a clear picture of your heart. If you feel mild discomfort when placing the probe on your chest, do not worry, it is normal, and this examination does not carry any risk to the patient’s health.
What does a doctor determine with a heart ultrasound?
During the ultrasound, your doctor will determine the mobility of certain segments of the heart muscle, and based on that result, you will learn more about the nutrition of the heart muscle, while your chosen doctor will assess the strength of the heart muscle. This examination also looks at the size of the heart cavities, and the presence of foreign masses in them will be noticed.
How often is a heart ultrasound done?
There is no radiation, so there is no reason not to report to regular check-ups, which are usually every four months, because it is the heart ultrasound that is done during this period of time, and regular check-ups are important in order to detect new changes.
The recommended examination should not be delayed. The doctor certainly did not recommend an ultrasound of the heart for no reason, so it is necessary to perform the recording itself. This is very important if you have symptoms of heart problems, if you are a patient with risk factors, have chest pain or are tired.
Ultrasound of the heart is a simple examination that is painless, it is done without special preparation and, which is very important, there are no side effects or harmful effects. This examination does not require any recovery and can be done at any age.