what is echocardiogram

An echocardiogram, also known as an "echo", is a type of ultrasound test that checks the structure and function of the heart. During the test, a small probe is used to send out high-frequency sound waves that create echoes when they bounce off different parts of the body. These echoes are picked up by the probe and turned into a moving image on a monitor while the scan is carried out. An echocardiogram can help diagnose and monitor certain heart conditions by checking the structure of the heart and surrounding blood vessels, analyzing how blood flows through them, and assessing the pumping chambers of the heart. It can detect a range of conditions including cardiomyopathy and valve disease. An echocardiogram can also give physicians other estimates of heart function, such as a calculation of the cardiac output, ejection fraction, and diastolic function (how well the heart relaxes) . There are several types of echocardiograms, including transthoracic and transesophageal, and the type of echocardiogram you’ll have depends on the heart condition being assessed and how detailed the images need to be.