![]() ![]() Over the last four decades, the rate of mortality caused by heart disease in the United States has gradually declined. Defining Cardiovascular DiseaseĪ cardiovascular disease is defined as a disease or injury of the cardiovascular system which includes the heart, blood vessels of the heart, and the veins and arteries in the brain and the rest of the body. were projected to reach almost $109 billion in healthcare services, medications, and productivity loss. In 2010, the costs associated with coronary heart disease in the U.S. In 2008, almost 1 out of 4 individuals with heart disease died from the disease in the U.S. Heart disease can affect both men and women and the most common type of heart condition is coronary heart disease. Talk with your doctor.Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Your doctor will talk with you after looking at your echo pictures and discuss what the pictures show.Your technician will help you clean the gel from your chest.I could see my heart valves opening and closing.” Jaycee, age 41 What happens after the echo? He turned the camera and stopped it several times so he could show me the pictures of my heart. #Echo cardiograph portable“The doctor had a portable machine that he brought to my hospital bed. The pictures on the video monitor are recorded so your doctor can look at them later. The sound waves are change into pictures and displayed on a video monitor.The probe produces sound waves that bounce off your heart and “echo” back to the probe. The probe (transducer) is passed across your chest.Your technician may ask you to move or hold your breath briefly to get better pictures.Your technician puts gel on your chest to help sound waves pass through your skin.The room is dark so your technician can better see the video monitor.An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) keeps track of your heartbeat during your test. The disks have wires that hook to an electrocardiograph machine. You lie on a table and a technician places small metal disks (electrodes) on your chest.You may have your test done in your doctor’s office, an emergency room, an operating room, a hospital clinic or a hospital room. It was really easy and didn’t hurt a bit!” Mike, age 52 What happens during the echo?Įcho tests are done by specially trained technicians. “While I was lying on my side, the technician asked me to move a little as he moved the wand around my chest. You can eat and drink before the test like you usually would. An echo doesn’t hurt and has no side effects.Abnormal holes between the chambers of the heart.Blood clots in the chambers of your heart.Problems with the large blood vessels that enter and leave the heart.Problems with the outer lining of your heart (the pericardium).The test also will help your doctor find out if there are: If there is a tumor or infectious growth around your heart valves.If the heart valves are too narrow ( stenosis).If blood is leaking backwards through your heart valves ( regurgitation).If the heart valves are working correctly.The size and shape of your heart, and the size, thickness and movement of your heart’s walls.Your doctor may use an echo test to look at your heart’s structure and check how well your heart functions. These waves are changed into pictures viewed on a video monitor. A probe called a transducer is passed over your chest.An echo uses sound waves to create pictures of your heart’s chambers, valves, walls and the blood vessels (aorta, arteries, veins) attached to your heart.The test is also called echocardiography or diagnostic cardiac ultrasound. National Hypertension Control InitiativeĪn echocardiogram (echo) is a test that uses high frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to make pictures of your heart.Pets and Your Health / Healthy Bond for Life. ![]()
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