Going for an echocardiogram this week what should i expect?!
Question: Going for an echocardiogram this week what should i expect!?
my doctor found what he thinks is the sound of blood flowing through heart valves (he called it a brewing or brewy or something like that)
but because of this im going for an echocardiogram sometime this week
i was wondering if this is could be anything too serious and what i will expect to see
im only 15 years old and this is starting to worry meWww@Answer-Health@Com
but because of this im going for an echocardiogram sometime this week
i was wondering if this is could be anything too serious and what i will expect to see
im only 15 years old and this is starting to worry meWww@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
I perform echoes daily!. It involves popping a small amount of jelly on a probe and is basically the same as the ultrasound scan a pregnant woman has!. You usually don't get any results on the day, although we never send anybody home if there was something serious on the scan!. The majority of the scans I perform are for heart murmur and 99!.9% are completely normal or the murmur is caused by an insignificant leak on the valve (that alot of people have - not causing any problems)!. Please don't worry about it, it'll be fine! The pictures should be quite impressive due to you being young, ask to see them at the end!!!Www@Answer-Health@Com
it is a murmur!. an echo for this will usually be a stress test, which is running on a treadmill until you heart rate reaches its max!. then a quick dive onto a table and a doppler sonogram of the actual blood flow through your heart!. wear comfy shoes and be prepared to have your chest shaved if it is hairy, at least six leads will be attached to watch the electrical signals!!! I just had one about 3 months ago!Www@Answer-Health@Com
I've had more than one and they worried me a little!. It's nothing serious!. You lie down on a bed and the doctor puts gel on your chest!. They then take a small roller object and roll around on your chest!. This is hooked up to a computer and the doctor can see what is going on inside your chest on a monitor!. The procedure usually takes about an hour!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
You won't know until you get the test!. Sometimes doctors run tests to be sure there is nothing there!.!.!.and when they do it sometimes comes out to be nothing!. anyone that says anything here might just heighten your anxiety and there is no reason for worry until you know for sure!. It is like looking at a Medical book!.!.!.there could be many reasons!. Just relax and take it easy for now!. If you are that concerned call him and talk to him and see what he says!.
I will keep you in my prayers!.!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I will keep you in my prayers!.!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
The test is nothing to be afraid of!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Hi Ryan! Congenital (present at birth) Heart Defects are the most common type of birth defect, and affect approximately 1 in 100 live births!. It is possible that you have, and have had since birth, a heart defect, or abnormality in your heart!. Because they are so common, your doctor is sending you for an ECHO to check everything out, and confirm whether or not there is a defect there!. There are many very minor heart defects, or valve defects that could cause this extra sound, so try not to worry!. It could also be nothing!.!.!. sometimes people have a 'heart murmer' which turns out to be perfectly normal!
The ECHO is painless and doesn't take long!. Basically, they will have you lay on a table, and they will scan your chest and neck with a doppler (a small hand-held wand-type device)!.
Here is some further information:
Heart Murmurs
What causes heart murmurs!?
Heart murmurs are most often caused by defective heart valves!. A stenotic (sten-OT'ik) heart valve has a smaller-than-normal opening and can't open completely!. A valve may also be unable to close completely!. This leads to regurgitation, which is blood leaking backward through the valve when it should be closed!.
Murmurs also can be caused by conditions such as pregnancy, fever, thyrotoxicosis (thi"ro-toks"ih-KO'sis) (a diseased condition resulting from an overactive thyroid gland) or anemia!.
A diastolic (di"as-TOL'ik) murmur occurs when the heart muscle relaxes between beats!. A systolic (sis-TOL'ik) murmur occurs when the heart muscle contracts!. Systolic murmurs are graded by intensity (loudness) from one to six!. A grade 1/6 is very faint, heard only with a special effort!. A grade 6/6 is extremely loud!. It's heard with a stethoscope slightly removed from the chest!.
Related AHA publications:
Heart and Stroke Facts
Innocent Heart Murmurs brochure
AHA Scientific Statements:
Congenital Heart Defects
See also:
Aortic Regurgitation
Congenital Cardiovascular Disease
Diastolic Dysfunction
Heart, How It Works
Innocent Heart Murmurs
Mitral Valve and Mitral Valve Prolapse
Good luck to you! I hope it turns out to be nothing!
Shannon T!.
Hope for Children with HLHS GroupWww@Answer-Health@Com
The ECHO is painless and doesn't take long!. Basically, they will have you lay on a table, and they will scan your chest and neck with a doppler (a small hand-held wand-type device)!.
Here is some further information:
Heart Murmurs
What causes heart murmurs!?
Heart murmurs are most often caused by defective heart valves!. A stenotic (sten-OT'ik) heart valve has a smaller-than-normal opening and can't open completely!. A valve may also be unable to close completely!. This leads to regurgitation, which is blood leaking backward through the valve when it should be closed!.
Murmurs also can be caused by conditions such as pregnancy, fever, thyrotoxicosis (thi"ro-toks"ih-KO'sis) (a diseased condition resulting from an overactive thyroid gland) or anemia!.
A diastolic (di"as-TOL'ik) murmur occurs when the heart muscle relaxes between beats!. A systolic (sis-TOL'ik) murmur occurs when the heart muscle contracts!. Systolic murmurs are graded by intensity (loudness) from one to six!. A grade 1/6 is very faint, heard only with a special effort!. A grade 6/6 is extremely loud!. It's heard with a stethoscope slightly removed from the chest!.
Related AHA publications:
Heart and Stroke Facts
Innocent Heart Murmurs brochure
AHA Scientific Statements:
Congenital Heart Defects
See also:
Aortic Regurgitation
Congenital Cardiovascular Disease
Diastolic Dysfunction
Heart, How It Works
Innocent Heart Murmurs
Mitral Valve and Mitral Valve Prolapse
Good luck to you! I hope it turns out to be nothing!
Shannon T!.
Hope for Children with HLHS GroupWww@Answer-Health@Com