Are you experiencing unusual symptoms, such as shortness of breath that seems disproportionate to your activity level, chest pain that comes and goes, or swelling in your legs that won't resolve?
These symptoms might seem unrelated, but they can indicate that your heart isn’t functioning as it should. And if your doctor mentions ordering an echocardiogram, you might be wondering what the test involves and why it's necessary.
Kunal Patel, MD, and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute offer echocardiograms and other cardiac testing. Here’s how echocardiograms work and what they can reveal about your symptoms.
An echocardiogram, or an "echo," is a noninvasive ultrasound test that creates detailed images of your heart. It uses high-frequency sound waves to create the images, allowing Dr. Patel to see your heart's structure and watch it beating in real time.
The test shows how your heart chambers are functioning, how your valves are opening and closing, how blood is flowing through your heart, and whether there are any structural abnormalities.
Echocardiograms are completely noninvasive, painless, and safe. You lie on an exam table while a technician applies gel to your chest and moves a handheld device called a transducer across your skin.
The transducer sends sound waves through your chest wall, which bounce off of your heart structures and create images on a monitor. The entire test typically takes 30-60 minutes, and you can return to your normal activities immediately afterward.
Echocardiograms can tell us a lot about your heart, making it an effective diagnostic tool for a range of heart conditions. We may recommend an echocardiogram if you have symptoms like:
You find yourself winded after climbing a single flight of stairs, or you struggle to catch your breath during activities that never bothered you before.
Shortness of breath, especially when it's new or progressively worsening, can signal heart valve problems, heart failure, or reduced pumping efficiency. An echocardiogram reveals whether your heart is functioning properly and pumping adequate blood to meet your body's oxygen needs.
You experience pressure, tightness, or pain in your chest that may or may not be related to exertion. While not all chest pain stems from heart problems, an echocardiogram helps rule out or identify structural heart issues, valve disease, or problems with heart muscle function that could be causing your symptoms.
You feel like your heart is racing, fluttering, skipping beats, or pounding irregularly. An echocardiogram can identify structural abnormalities or valve problems that might be contributing to rhythm disturbances and palpitations.
In many cases, we order an echocardiogram alongside an electrocardiogram to get a complete picture of your heart's electrical and mechanical function.
You notice persistent swelling in your legs, ankles, or feet that doesn't improve with elevation or rest. This swelling (edema) can indicate that your heart isn't pumping efficiently, causing fluid to back up in your tissues. An echocardiogram assesses your heart's pumping strength and identifies whether heart failure or valve disease is contributing to fluid retention.
You experience lightheadedness, dizzy spells, or episodes where you lose consciousness. These symptoms might occur because your heart isn't pumping enough blood to your brain. An echocardiogram can reveal valve problems, reduced heart function, or structural issues that could explain these episodes.
A heart murmur is an abnormal sound your doctor might hear when listening to your heart with a stethoscope. A heart murmur sometimes indicates turbulent blood flow caused by valve problems. An echocardiogram shows exactly how your valves are functioning and whether they're leaking or narrowed.
You feel exhausted even after adequate rest, or you notice your exercise tolerance has decreased significantly. Persistent, unexplained fatigue can indicate your heart isn't pumping efficiently enough to deliver oxygen-rich blood throughout your body.
Even without active symptoms, you might undergo an echocardiogram if you have a strong family history of heart disease, cardiomyopathy, or sudden cardiac death. This screening helps identify inherited heart conditions before they cause symptoms.
We can also use echocardiograms to evaluate your heart health if you've previously had a heart attack, had heart surgery, or been diagnosed with a heart condition. Routine echocardiograms monitor your heart function over time, so we can make sure treatments are working effectively.
Echocardiograms provide essential information when it comes to diagnosing and treating heart conditions. If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, don't wait — schedule an evaluation at NJ Cardiovascular Institute in Elizabeth, Lakewood, Paramus, or Secaucus, New Jersey, to learn more about your options.
