This is an automatically translated article.
The article is expertly consulted by Professor, Doctor, Doctor Do Doan Loi - Senior Advisor of Cardiology Center - Cardiovascular Center - Vinmec Times City International Hospital.Echocardiography is one of the important methods used to check for abnormalities in the heart, in the diagnosis of heart diseases, to show the size, thickness, ability to pump blood as well as other activities of the heart. heart. The following article will help you learn more about this method.
1. General understanding of echocardiography
1.1. What does an echocardiogram show?
Using ultrasound waves, the doctor can see the structure of the heart, and check for abnormalities when the heart is working. Specifically, lets know:How the heart works, contracts. Heart size and shape. Size and pumping motion of the heart walls. The pumping power of the heart. Are the heart valves working properly? Are the heart valves narrowed? Is there blood backing through the heart valves (valvular regurgitation). There are tumors, inflammatory masses around the heart valves, heart contractions, blood vessels.
Siêu âm tim giúp bác sĩ chẩn đoán vấn đề gặp phải ở tim mạch.
Problems with the large blood vessels entering and leaving the heart. Problems with the heart muscle, the inner and outer layers of the heart. Heart valve diseases. Abnormal holes between the chambers of the heart. Blood clots in the heart chambers.
1.2. When do you need an echocardiogram?
Your doctor will ask you to have an echocardiogram for a variety of reasons, for example when heart abnormalities are found on other tests, or signs of heart disease, or auscultation with a stethoscope.In addition, if you have cardiac abnormalities such as shortness of breath, chest pain, echocardiography is necessary.
2. Echocardiography procedure
2.1. Preparing for an echocardiogram
With a regular echocardiogram, you don't need any special preparation and can eat, drink, and take your medications as usual. If you have a stress echocardiogram or a transesophageal echocardiogram, your doctor may ask you not to eat for several hours. If you have trouble swallowing, which could affect your ability to get a transesophageal echocardiogram, let your doctor know.A transesophageal echocardiogram may prevent you from driving yourself afterward as sedation may be required, so notify family members to drive you home.
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2.2 The process of performing echocardiography
Most echocardiograms take less than 1 hour, the duration may be longer or shorter depending on your condition.
Echocardiography can be performed in a doctor's office or at a hospital. At this point, you are asked to lie on the bed, pull up your shirt from your waist so that the doctor attaches electrodes (which are patches) to your body and monitors your heart.
The doctor needs to reduce the light in the ultrasound room to help see the image more clearly, then you will be applied a special gel on the chest to increase the transmission of ultrasound waves.
The transducer is moved back and forth over the chest to capture echocardiographic images. You may hear a "píu píu," which is the sound of blood flowing in your heart that the ultrasound machine records.
If you have a transesophageal echocardiogram, your throat will be numbed with a spray or gel to make it easier to pass the transducer through your esophagus. At this time, you also need to take a sedative to relax.
2.3. What to do after echocardiography?
After the echocardiogram , if there are no problems, you will be allowed by your doctor to participate in your daily activities.3. Possible side effects and complications during echocardiography
It can be said that echocardiography is a modern method of cardiovascular diagnosis and examination, giving clear images. Furthermore, conventional transthoracic echocardiography is painless and uncomplicated.
Siêu âm tim có thể gây 1 số tác dụng phụ nhẹ.
Discomfort when the doctor removes the adhesive tape attached to the electrodes on the chest. Throat pain for several hours if transesophageal echocardiography, rarely the ultrasound tube scratched the inner throat. During the ultrasound, you may experience breathing problems due to the sedation or the amount of oxygen you breathe. Exercise or medication during stress echocardiography can cause transient arrhythmias, not echocardiography. Above is information about methods of diagnosis and treatment support - echocardiography, if you have any questions, please contact Vinmec for the fastest advice.
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