Your physician has just informed you that she’d like to order an echocardiogram for you, and now you’re wondering just what you’re in for. Well, I can provide you with a simple, layman’s explanation of just what an echocardiogram is (often referred to simply as an “echo”), and what you will experience during the test. ...
I am an Echocardiographer, which means I perform Echocardiograms as a profession. I often get the question: What is an Echocardiogram? Simply put, an Echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart. Most people understand the concept of how an ultrasound works: A medical sonographer places an ultrasound probe against your skin and takes pictures of ...
If you’re one of the thousands of people wondering what to do with their lives but don’t have the time or money to get a 4 year college degree, you may be interested in becoming a cardiac sonographer. If you’re like most people you’ve probably never heard of this profession. Actually it’s this lack of ...
While many people think a palpitation is the equivalent of a problem with their heart, the true definition of a palpitation is the simply being aware of one’s heartbeat whether it be irregular or not. Nearly everyone will feel an irregular beat at one point or another in their lifetime; however those who are aware ...
Congestive heart failure, also known as heart failure, is a condition in which the body cannot pump enough blood throughout the body. The heart becomes weak or stiff from high blood pressure or coronary heart disease and fails to pump blood adequately. Medications and lifestyle changes can help towards improving your survival rate against congestive ...
When I took our youngest daughter to her 18 month checkup, the pediatrician muttered something about a heart murmur as he listened at her chest with his stethoscope. My gasp probably led him to listen several more times and eventually let me know that it was considered a “benign” heart murmur. “We’ll just listen at ...
I am continuing my set of articles on recent medical tests for heart issues. I am hoping that this might help others who are facing the same or similar situations. Dealing with potential heart problems is scary enough. However, not understanding the tests, how they work, and their benefit makes the situation scarier still. Most ...
What is a Heart Murmur? A heart murmur is an unusual sound heart while a physician or other medical professional is listening to your heartbeat. Murmurs can be very faint or they can be very loud. Sometimes they sound like a whooshing or swishing sound. The sounds are made when blood flows through the heart. ...
