These techniques include: An echocardiogram usually takes 40 to 60 minutes. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Cardiomyopathy: This is a general term for diseases that affect how well your heart muscle works.The image below shows what healthy hearts look like on an echocardiogram (left) and what unhealthy hearts look like (right). The aneurysm may be at risk for rupture. Defects in one or more heart structures that occur during formation of the fetus, such as a ventricular septal defect (hole in the wall between the 2 lower chambers of the heart). 1998-2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Plan to wear comfortable clothes and shoes. There are several potential causes of bad results from an echocardiogram.One possibility is that the person being tested has a heart condition that makes it difficult to obtain clear images. The image is called an echocardiogram. Closely follow your providers guidance. This can cause blood flow problems. An echocardiogram is done in a medical center or a hospital. Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 05/09/2022. Hole in the esophagus, called esophageal perforation. Cardiac arrhythmias refer to any abnormality or disturbance in the normal activation sequence of the myocardium and can be classified by rate (tachycardia, bradycardia), mechanism (automaticity, re-entry, triggered), duration (isolated premature beats, couplets, runs), or site of origin. Yellow is Alexa's sign that the voice assistant has something to tell you. An echocardiogram and an electrocardiogram (called an EKG or ECG) both check your heart. This article was medically reviewed by Dale K. Mueller, MD. Elsevier; 2022. https://www.clinicalkey.com. This module demonstrates which structures should be viewed using colour Doppler during the standard 2D examination. Generally, there is no special type of care after an echo. Aneurysm. A transesophageal echo takes pictures from inside your chest, rather than from the outside. A transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) is the most common type of echo. Not eating or drinking anything except water for at least four hours before your test. It takes pictures of the heart from outside the body. Your provider will take pictures. The colors on an echocardiogram represent different parts of the heart and how well they are functioning.Red indicates areas of high blood flow velocity, blue represents low blood flow velocity, and black represents no movement. Accessed Sept. 9, 2022. Your sonographer will place a sound-wave transducer (wand) on several areas of your chest. % of people told us that this article helped them. 29-45 mm. Youll remove your clothing from the waist up and put on a hospital gown. Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter. The different types of echocardiograms include: transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), which is the most common type; stress echocardiogram (also called Dobutamine Stress ECHO or DSE); transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE), which is used when more detailed images are needed; 3D echo; and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). Go to source. Last Updated: January 25, 2022 Youll walk on a treadmill or pedal on a stationary bike. Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/ff\/Interpret-Echocardiograms-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Interpret-Echocardiograms-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/ff\/Interpret-Echocardiograms-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1392846-v4-728px-Interpret-Echocardiograms-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
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