Echocardiography is a type of ultrasound that produces an image of the heart. It can be used to diagnose many different conditions, including valve problems, cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease), and even tumors in the heart. Echocardiography is one of the most commonly performed scans.
Echocardiograms are usually normal for adults who do not have any symptoms or concerns about their health. Still, they may help detect underlying diseases that would otherwise go undetected without more advanced imaging techniques like MRI or CT scan.
Echocardiography can help diagnose many cardiac diseases, including heart disease, valve disease, and congenital disabilities. It is often used with other diagnostic procedures such as electrocardiography (ECG) or nuclear cardiology imaging studies like coronary angiograms.
One of the main advantages of echocardiography is that it doesn’t require any contrast agents or radiation. This makes it a safe and relatively low-risk procedure for most people.