How well does your blood flow through the heart and heart valves? You may not see it, but you can feel it, which could even worry you to the point of seeking medical attention. During your visit, your doctor may request Tomball echocardiograms to check the structure, including size, shape, and heart valve performance. Also known as heart ultrasound or sonogram, the test is safe and helps detect concerns such as:
Congenital heart defects
Some congenital heart defects are easily detected at birth, but others take time to manifest and require a diagnosis. Congenital disabilities impact how the heart works; some may require several surgeries to correct. Others may not need treatment, but it necessitates certain care measures. Your doctor may suspect your child has congenital heart defects following symptoms like swollen feet, hands, and ankles, fainting, shortness of breath, or easily tiring during physical activities. An echocardiogram is, in such cases, used to establish if there are congenital heart defects and their nature.
Heart attack damage
Heart attack result from sudden blocked blood flow, such as due to clots. A heart attack can cause significant heart damage. The impact can affect the heart rhythm and ability to pump blood, increasing the risks of another heart attack and other concerns, including stroke and PAD (peripheral arterial disease). Echocardiogram helps establish such damage and its extent and informs treatment and care measures to mitigate such risks.
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy affects the heart muscles. It can result in thickened, stiffened, or enlarged heart walls. The affected muscles make it harder for the heart to pump blood, which can lead to heart failure. Echocardiogram looks at the structural features, determining whether you have cardiomyopathy and its extent. This informs the treatment approach, including implanted devices, medicine, surgery, or transplants.
Endocarditis
Endocarditis is an infection caused mainly by fungi or bacteria. The germs get into the bloodstream and attach to parts of the heart that are often damaged and cause life-threatening inflammation in the inner lining of the valves. Echocardiogram help establish which valves are infected and the extent of the damage caused. This helps determine the appropriate treatment, which could only mean antibiotics use and, in severe cases, valve replacement surgery.
Heart failure
Unlike the name suggests, heart failure doesn’t mean the heart has stopped working. It means the heart’s ability to pump blood around the body is compromised. The condition often results from a stiffened heart or growing too weak. An echocardiogram helps diagnose heart failure, its cause, and its severity. This informs the treatment approach, including lifestyle adjustment, medication, and implantable devices.
An echocardiogram may sound scary, especially since your heart’s health is in the equation. Nonetheless, it facilitates a prompt and effective view of your heart, which helps ensure the right measures are implemented to improve your heart health. Besides diagnosis, echocardiograms are used to monitor heart conditions, including the structure of the heart, its surrounding vessels, and the blood flow. Visit Cardiovascular Institute, P.A. today for more on echocardiogram, when it may be needed, and what its findings mean.
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