Why Doctors Recommend an Echocardiogram for Patients
An echocardiogram test helps doctors diagnose heart disease, monitor valve problems and check heart function. See why it is recommended and how to prepare.
Heart disease is on the list of deadly illnesses that people fear most. Deaths from heart disease also keep rising every year. Doctors will often recommend an echocardiogram to make diagnosis easier. What are the reasons? Here is a rundown.
Reasons for Having a Heart Ultrasound
Specialist doctors will generally recommend a heart ultrasound after hearing a patient's complaints. There are several reasons a doctor might suggest this test, one of them being symptoms that point to heart disease.
During the exam, the doctor checks the patient's heart thoroughly to find the main cause of the pain. Besides helping to diagnose the type of heart disease, the exam turns out to serve several other purposes as well.
The purposes of a heart ultrasound are to determine whether heart disease is likely, to evaluate how effective earlier drug therapy or surgery has been, to evaluate heart function, and to monitor how heart valve abnormalities progress over time.
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Patients Who Should Have a Heart Ultrasound
A heart ultrasound is an exam that shows the structure of the heart and the blood vessels around it. In other words, doctors recommend an echocardiogram only to certain patients who have symptoms of heart disease. The test results determine the diagnosis of the patient's illness.
The advanced equipment used in a heart ultrasound can detect several medical conditions, such as heart failure, congenital disease, heart damage, endocarditis, heart valve abnormalities or cardiomyopathy. There is also no need to worry, because the exam leaves no scar and causes no pain.
Before the scan, the doctor and patient need to prepare. First, the medical staff must explain the procedure they will carry out. After hearing the explanation, you get a chance to ask questions about the exam.
Do not forget to tell the doctor if you are taking certain medications, because some drugs have side effects such as a pounding heart. Also say so if you have a pacemaker. After that, the patient should avoid putting lotion, cream or skin-care oil on the chest.
Patients with chest hair are asked to shave first to make the echocardiogram easier. Slightly different from other internal medicine exams, patients do not need to fast before the scan. Medical staff do not even need to give anesthesia unless it is required.
From the explanation above, it can be concluded that doctors have their own reasons for recommending a heart ultrasound. The need for the exam also rests on the complaints the patient feels. Through this exam you can find out whether your heart is working well or not.
Read also: Heart Disease Symptoms You Should Watch For
