Why would a person need to have a echocardiogram?!
Question: To establish a baseline for normal cardiac function. To check for previous damage from an undiagnosed previous heart attack. To check the current function of a heart, healthy or otherwise.
Answers: To establish a baseline for normal cardiac function. To check for previous damage from an undiagnosed previous heart attack. To check the current function of a heart, healthy or otherwise.
You have this done if you have chest pain and they want to find out if you have any type of heart irregularity.
An echocardiogram is able to monitor the performance of the valves. It can help to diagnose structural abnormalities in the heart wall, valves, and blood vessels. It can detect tumors, clots or pericardial effusions (abnormal fluid collection around the heart). It is sometimes used after a heart attack to evaluate the cardiac wall motion and function. The most frequent use of an echocardiogram is for diagnosing or monitoring congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathies or aneurysms.
Its basically an ultrasound of the heart. Used to assist in diagnosing heart disease. heart murmurs and so on.
For a variety of reasons.
One could be having cardiac symptoms that may be able to be attributed to a mechanical problem in the heart.
Another reason is to screen for potential problems before starting a medication. Some medications (psych meds in particular) have the tendency to exacerbate underlying cardiac issues.
I hope this helps and that you're having no troubles in that regard.
(Sorry I had to modify, I first misread it as electrocardiograph.)