An echocardiogram is a test in which sound waves are used to create a video of the heart, according to the online medical encyclopedia MedlinePlus. Because sound waves, rather than x-rays, are used to create the images of the heart, the body is exposed to no radiation. Furthermore, more detailed pictures of the heart are generated with an echocardiogram than with an x-ray. The person who performs the test is called a sonographer, but a doctor specializing in heart medicine interprets the results. There are several different types of echocardiograms available.
Transthoracic Echocardiogram
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute reports that a transthroracic echocardiogram is the most common type of echocardiogram. It is noninvasive as well as painless, and it allows doctors to obtain high-definition pictures of the heart. The part of the machine that emits the sound waves, the inducer, is placed on the chest, where it sends sound waves into the chest cavity. These waves emitted are ultrasound, meaning that humans do not have the ability to hear them. The sound waves bounce off the heart and send a signal back to the machine. A computer then interprets the data, and a monitor displays multiple pictures of the heart.
Doppler echocardiogram
The procedure for a Doppler echocardiogram is similar to a transthoracic echocardiogram, but this form of echocardiogram can acquire even more information about the functioning of the heart. The Mayo Clinic reports that, as the ultrasound waves bounce off the blood cells that travel through the heart, the waves change slightly. The computer can detect the changes in the waves, and a heart doctor can use this information to tell the speed and direction of blood flow through the heart. A Doppler echocardiogram is very useful in detecting how abnormalities in the heart may cause changes in the functioning of the heart.
Stress echocardiogram
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute notes that some heart diseases, such as coronary artery disease, make heart problems much more apparent when the heart is working hard, such as during exercise or times of stress. As part of a stress test, a doctor will perform an echocardiogram after increasing the heart rate as a result of exercise or medication given by doctor. This stress echocardiogram will allow a doctor to test how the heart of the patient functions under stress.
Transesophageal echocardiogram
This form of echocardiogram is used if the sonographer is having a difficult time obtaining a good picture of the heart by a transthoracic echocardiogram, according to the Mayo Clinic. In a transesophageal echocardiogram, a flexible tube is inserted into the esophagus, which connects the mouth to the stomach. Inside the esophagus, as it runs through the chest, the transducer can acquire a more detailed image of the heart because of its closer proximity.
