What Is an Echocardiogram and Why Might You Need One?

Cardiac ultrasound equipment

An echocardiogram — often called an "echo" — is an ultrasound of your heart. It uses sound waves to create moving pictures of your heart in real time, showing how it beats, how blood flows through its chambers, and whether its valves are working properly.

What Does an Echocardiogram Show?

Heart Structure - Size of the heart chambers (are they enlarged?) - Thickness of the heart walls - Overall heart shape and structure - Presence of masses, clots, or fluid around the heart

Heart Function - Ejection fraction (EF): How well your heart pumps blood. Normal is 55-70%. Below 40% indicates heart failure as defined by the NHLBI. - Wall motion — are all parts of the heart contracting normally? - Cardiac output — how much blood your heart pumps per minute

Heart Valves - Are valves opening and closing properly? - Is there valve leakage (regurgitation)? - Is there valve narrowing (stenosis)?

Blood Flow - Doppler imaging shows blood flow direction and speed - Detects abnormal blood flow patterns

When Do Doctors Order an Echocardiogram?

Symptoms: Shortness of breath, chest pain, heart palpitations, dizziness, fainting, leg swelling, or unexplained fatigue.

Known or Suspected Conditions: Heart murmur, heart failure monitoring, after a heart attack, valve disease, high blood pressure, before certain surgeries, or monitoring chemotherapy effects.

What to Expect

1. No special preparation — eat, drink, and take medications normally
2. Change into a gown — the technologist needs access to your chest
3. Lie on your left side — this brings your heart closer to the chest wall
4. Gel is applied — warm gel on the transducer and your chest
5. Images are captured — 30-45 minutes typically
6. Painless — you may feel some pressure but it shouldn't hurt

You may hear "whooshing" sounds — that's the Doppler picking up blood flow through your heart. Perfectly normal.

Learn what to expect during an echocardiogram procedure.

Echo vs. EKG — What's the Difference?

EKG (electrocardiogram): Measures electrical activity of the heart. Detects rhythm problems, conduction issues, and signs of heart attack. Quick (takes 1 minute), but shows nothing about heart structure.

Echocardiogram: Shows physical structure and movement. Visualizes chambers, valves, and blood flow. Takes 30-45 minutes but provides far more detail about how your heart is actually working.

They're complementary tests — your doctor may order both.

Schedule Your Echocardiogram

Our registered cardiac sonographers perform thousands of echocardiograms yearly. Results are interpreted by board-certified physicians. Call (727) 398-5999 to schedule.