Chest tightness and shortness of breath can indicate that you must visit your doctor for an evaluation. Whether the pain is constant or occasional, receiving medical attention is the best way to deal with it. If you have such symptoms, an echocardiogram Upper East Side can help determine whether you have a heart condition.
Echocardiograms are effective procedures examining your heart muscles, valves, and arteries to ensure your heart works as it should. On the other hand, if you have cardiovascular issues, the test will identify them, and you can seek treatment.
When do you need an echocardiogram?
You need an echocardiogram to help diagnose heart disease. Exhibiting symptoms of heart disease like poor blood circulation, chest pain, and skin discoloration can warrant a visit to your doctor’s office for examination. After the test, you can clearly understand whether your symptoms are from a heart condition or something else.
What happens during the process?
The process details depend on the type of echocardiogram you will undergo. Typically, there are four types of echocardiograms, each with its specifics. They include:
Transthoracic
A transthoracic echocardiogram is one of the most common types of echocardiograms that you can undergo. It involves lying on an examination table, undressed on the top half of your body, and your specialist running a transducer across your chest or abdomen. The transducer sends sound waves to your heart, which bounce back to create images of your heart on an adjacent screen.
Transesophageal
During a transesophageal echocardiogram, your specialist inserts a probe into your esophagus to get clearer heart images. Your specialist will numb your throat using a spray or a gel to ensure you are comfortable during the test. Although the procedure uses sound waves to formulate the pictures, the transesophageal test provides better results than a transthoracic test because the sound waves do not have to pass through the skin.
Doppler
Doppler echocardiography examines the speed and direction of blood flow in your heart. The procedure uses the Doppler Effect, which employs high-frequency sound waves to determine how much blood your heart is pumping. The test can assess your valves’ strength and blood pressure in your arteries.
Stress testing
During this process, your doctor will attach electrodes to your body and ask you to run on a treadmill so you can exert your heart to physical stress. Stress testing is most effective if a standard echocardiogram does not give results despite your symptoms. Your doctor will set a limit for your heartbeat, and only when you reach it will they ask you to stop.
After you stop the exercise, the EKG machine will continue to record your heartbeat, and afterward, your specialist will discuss the results with you.
If you are exhibiting symptoms of heart disease like chest pain, visit Upper East Side Cardiology for an echocardiogram test. The highly-qualified cardiologist and staff will prepare you for the procedure and perform it carefully with expertise for the most accurate results. Call or book your appointment online today to alleviate your symptoms.
