Echocardiography (echo) is an ultrasound of the heart. Using ultrasound it shows the structure and function of the heart in real time: how the walls contract, how the valves move, how the blood flows.
If an ECG answers the question “how the heart conducts impulses,” then an echo answers “how it is built and pumps blood.” It is on an echo that the ejection fraction and cardiac output are measured.
What an echo shows
An echo assesses: the pumping function (ejection fraction), the sizes and wall thickness of the chambers, the work of the valves (narrowing, regurgitation), the pressure in the pulmonary artery, the state of the pericardium and diastolic function.
It is the key method in heart failure, valve defects, after a heart attack and for shortness of breath of unclear cause — often together with NT-proBNP.
How the examination is done
Most often this is a transthoracic echo: the doctor moves a probe over the chest after applying gel. The procedure is painless, safe (no radiation) and takes 15–30 minutes. Special preparation is usually not required.
In complex cases a transesophageal echo (the probe is inserted through the esophagus) or a stress echo (with exertion) is used — as indicated.
Assess your heart's age
An echo assesses the pumping function — find out your heart's “age”:
Frequently asked questions
What does an echo show?
The structure and function of the heart in real time: the ejection fraction (pumping function), chamber sizes, valve function, pressure in the pulmonary artery and diastolic function. It is the main method in heart failure and valve defects.
Is an echo harmful?
No. Echocardiography uses ultrasound, not X-ray radiation, so it is safe and painless, can be repeated and can be done in pregnant women. A transthoracic echo requires no special preparation.
How does an echo differ from an ECG?
An ECG records the heart's electrical activity (rhythm, ischemia), while an echo shows its anatomy and pumping function using ultrasound. For heart complaints they are often ordered together — they answer different questions.
Related terms
Sources
- MedlinePlus (NIH) — Echocardiogram
- American Heart Association — Echocardiogram (Echo)
- Echocardiogram — StatPearls (NCBI)