Ultrasound of the heart (echocardiography)
Echocardiography, or ultrasound examination of the heart, is the fastest and most painless way to obtain information for the prevention and treatment of cardiac diseases. When conducting echocardiography of the heart, the doctor can assess not only the condition of the large vessels and the heart itself, but also monitor blood flow, detect pathological changes in the valve apparatus, and diagnose pathological changes in the structure of the myocardium.
Expediency of cardiac ultrasound
The capabilities of ultrasound examination of the heart described above allow specialists to quickly and correctly diagnose most heart diseases at the initial stage of development. This method of examination is not only the most informative, but also the safest - echocardiography can be performed even on children and pregnant women, the procedure does not cause radiation exposure or injuries. In addition, no complications and side effects of this examination were recorded, and this is also an advantage.
What will the ultrasound of the heart show:
- presence of heart murmurs
- congenital and/or acquired heart defects
- heart tumor
- disruption of the functionality of the heart in people who are professionally engaged in sports
- arterial hypertension of unknown etiology
- results of surgical intervention for heart defects.
There are no contraindications to this type of examination. Even children can have electrocardiography as many times as necessary. Electrocardiography of the fetus is also carried out for the purpose of prenatal diagnosis of malformations.
How to conduct ultrasound of the heart
Special preparation for ultrasound of the heart is not carried out in the hospital, the patient just needs to undress to the waist, remove jewelry and lie down on the couch. The doctor places special sensors on certain points of the chest. They transmit ultrasound to a powerful computer, where the waves are converted into images. The doctor sees a moving, real image of the heart on the monitor.
The duration of the examination is 20 minutes, the interpretation of the ultrasound of the heart is carried out by a doctor of functional diagnostics. The work of these specialists will make it possible to detect pathologies of the heart and blood vessels - doctors simply compare the echocardiography standards and the examination results. Ultrasound examination of the heart is a reliable method of diagnosis - in 90% of cases, the existing pathology is detected during the first examination.
Knowing how a heart ultrasound is done, it will be easier for parents to prepare their child for the examination. The fact is that the ultrasound equipment is very sensitive and can react to the active movements of the patient with unclear results, a distorted image. That is why it is so important to ensure immobility for 20 minutes of the examination - it is necessary to tell the child everything about the upcoming procedure in advance, so that he does not have any fear.
There is another method of echocardiography - transesophageal, which cannot be called a pleasant procedure. A special sensor is inserted through the esophagus to the patient, which allows to examine the heart from different sides. Such echocardiography implies certain preparation - 6 hours before the examination, you must stop eating, and before the examination, remove dentures (if any). The patient is given intravenously special drugs that help to transfer the procedure more easily. In particular, this method of conducting ultrasound of the heart has some contraindications - esophageal pathology, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, diaphragmatic hernia. And the price of transesophageal ultrasound of the heart will be somewhat higher than conventional/classical echocardiography.
Indications for cardiac ultrasound
Unfortunately, many heart diseases occur without a pronounced clinical picture, therefore, with certain symptoms, doctors strongly recommend to undergo an examination. With shortness of breath, regular dizziness, increased sweating and edema, patients themselves can undergo a paid ultrasound of the heart. Such a diagnostic procedure must be prescribed for:
- blood pressure spikes
- varicose veins
- murmurs in the heart
- thrombophlebitis
- pain in the heart of unknown etiology
- heart rhythm disorders.
In addition, patients who are in the recovery period after a heart attack or heart surgery can turn to the clinic at any time, where you can do an ultrasound of the heart without a special referral - such control will be useful for dynamic monitoring of the state of health. I.
On our website https://dobrobut.com/ you can get complete information about how much an ultrasound of the heart costs, how it is performed, which preparation must be completed before the procedure. Examination of the most important human organ, which is carried out regularly, is an opportunity for timely diagnosis of heart pathologies and effective treatment.
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