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Echocardiogram
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An echocardiogram lets you see the heart while it is working. It uses sound waves and their echoes to build moving images, as if the shape and motion of a pump could be seen through the sound that bounces back.
These images show the heart's size and shape and how it pumps. When Doppler imaging is used, the focus shifts to the movement of blood through the chambers and valves.
In brief
An echocardiogram uses sound waves and the echoes that return to create moving images of the heart. This makes it possible to watch the heart as it works, rather than seeing only a still image.
These images show the heart's size and shape, as well as how it pumps blood.
When Doppler is used, the images also provide information about blood moving through the heart's chambers and valves.
Sources (1)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteHeart Tests
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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