What it is
An , or echo, uses sound waves to make a moving picture of your heart, like the scan used in pregnancy. It shows the heart's chambers and valves, the strength of the heart wall and how well the heart pumps. It uses no radiation.
An echo is not an . An ECG records electrical signals and gives no pictures.
Why it is done
A doctor may ask for an echo to find out whether breathlessness, leg swelling or chest pain comes from the heart, or to look into a murmur (an extra sound heard through a stethoscope). It is also used to check the heart after a heart attack, to find or follow heart failure, valve disease and heart muscle disease, and to look for a source of clots after a stroke.
What it helps with
How to prepare
For the usual scan you can eat and drink as normal.
Do
- Wear something easy to take off from the waist up
- Tell the team about every medicine you take and any allergy
- For a scan down the throat, arrange for someone to take you home
Do not
- Do not eat or drink before a scan down the throat if told to fast
- Do not drive yourself home after sedation, or for 24 hours
What happens
The usual scan, a transthoracic echo, goes like this:
- You put on a gown and lie on a couch, often on your left side.
- Sticky patches (electrodes) go on your chest to follow your heartbeat.
- Cool gel is spread on your chest. Sometimes a liquid is injected into a vein in your arm so the heart shows up more clearly.
- A sonographer moves a hand-held probe over your chest. You may feel some pressure, hear a loud swishing sound, and be asked to turn or breathe in a certain way.
- The gel is wiped off, and you usually go home afterwards.
A stress echo adds pictures taken after you exercise, or after a medicine that makes the heart beat faster. In a transoesophageal echo (TOE), a thin tube with a small probe is passed down the gullet for a closer view. The throat is numbed and sedation can be given. It is not painful but can be uncomfortable.
Afterwards
After a contrast injection you may be asked to wait up to 30 minutes in case you react to it. After sedation, someone must take you home, and you should not drive for 24 hours. After a TOE the throat may be sore for a short time, sometimes a day or two.
Risks and side effects
The usual echo has no known risks or side effects. A TOE carries some risk, including a reaction to the sedative and damage to the gullet, which is more likely if you already have a problem there. Tell the team about any swallowing or gullet problem.
Results and what comes next
A heart specialist reads the pictures. You may be told on the day, but often you are given another appointment, or the report goes to the doctor who sent you. If you have heard nothing after a few weeks, contact that doctor.
A result that is not normal can mean anything from a minor change to serious heart disease, so it is read together with your symptoms and other tests, and you may be sent for more.
What an echo cannot show: pictures through the chest can be unclear because of the shape of the chest, lung disease or body weight, and a TOE may then be used. A scan at rest may miss a problem that appears only when the heart works hard, which a stress echo or a treadmill test can show.
Questions to ask your doctor
Tick the ones you want answered and take them with you.
Common questions
Does an echocardiogram hurt?
No. The usual scan is painless and uses no radiation. The gel feels cold, and you may feel some pressure as the probe presses on your chest. A scan down the throat (a TOE) can be uncomfortable, so the throat is numbed and sedation can be offered.
Is an echo the same as an ECG?
No. An ECG records the heart's electrical signals and gives no pictures. An echo uses sound waves to show the heart's structure and how it pumps. A doctor may ask for one, the other or both.
Can I eat and drink before an echo?
For the usual scan, yes. You can eat and drink as normal. For a scan down the throat you may be asked not to eat or drink for several hours, and you will be told if this applies to you.
How long does it take, and when do I get the result?
The usual scan takes under an hour. A doctor may explain the result on the day, but you are often given another appointment, or the report goes to the doctor who sent you. If you have heard nothing after a few weeks, contact that doctor.
