If you’re concerned about your heart health, one of the best things you can do is to get a diagnostic ultrasound. This noninvasive screening gives an actual picture of your heart and how well it functions.
Diagnostic ultrasound can keep track of your heart health and any changes over time. It may be recommended if you have any symptoms of heart disease, or if you have concerns about your personal risk.
Dr. Muthu Velusamy of the Cardiovascular Institute of America in Tampa and Lutz, Florida, explains more about why your doctor recommends a diagnostic ultrasound.
An echocardiogram uses the same type of technology that OB/GYNs use to look at your unborn baby in the womb. It uses reflected sound waves to create a picture of all of the chambers of your heart and how it functions.
Sometimes, we also use color to create pictures of your heart and how the blood flows through the heart’s chambers.
Here are five of the reasons why your doctor might recommend a diagnostic ultrasound.
If you have a heart murmur, Dr. Velusamy would like to know why. Getting to the cause of your heart murmur can help you to prevent complications from it.
A diagnostic ultrasound can help to determine the basis of heart disease. Dr. Velusamy looks at the functions of your heart and can tell if there are certain causes of heart disease.
If you’ve had previous problems with your heart, you may have had some interventions. Perhaps you got a replacement valve, or you’ve been taking medication and you want to see if it’s effective. You can get the answer to that from a diagnostic ultrasound.
Irregular heart rhythms are a common problem. You may feel a bit funny if you have one but may not understand why. When you find out that you have an irregular heart rhythm, you can take medications to regulate it or have other procedures to control it.
Aortic stenosis is a type of problem with your heart valves. Diagnostic ultrasound can detect the amount of blood flow through your heart, including the valves.
In aortic stenosis, the valve between the lower left chamber of your heart and the aorta doesn’t open completely. This puts more pressure on your heart, which has to work harder to compensate. In some cases, this can even lead to symptoms of heart failure.
If you have heart disease, even in the early stages, it’s important to have a good relationship with a trusted cardiologist. Getting a diagnostic ultrasound is just one of the tests and interventions you can have to take control of your heart health.
If your doctor says you need to get a diagnostic ultrasound, there’s a good reason for it. Contact Dr. Muthu Velusamy at the Cardiovascular Institute of America today or request an appointment online.
