Understanding Your Heart Scan Results
Heart scans are an increasingly important and popular test to detect heart disease early. Over 150,000 Brits die from heart disease annually, which is why early detection and management is imperative. Our experts here at EchoMed provide in-depth heart scans and ECG testing to provide you with the peace of mind you need.
Why Are Heart Scans Important?
Heart scans are an important tool that doctors can use to diagnose a variety of heart conditions and issues. Heart scans can detect a range of inherited and acquired diseases before they progress and worsen. Early detection can prevent further issues in the future that may have developed if left untreated.
How Does An Ultrasound Scan Work?
During an echocardiogram, our Doctors will place a small, hand-held device called a transducer on your chest. The transducer emits painless ultrasound waves that bounce off your heart and create images that are displayed on a screen.
These images can provide information about the size and shape of your heart, the thickness of its walls, the movement of its valves, and the flow of blood through its chambers. The test can also show areas of the heart that may have been damaged by a heart attack or other conditions.
Find out more about what will happen at your appointment here.
Understanding The Results
Understanding echocardiogram results requires some basic knowledge of the anatomy and function of the heart.
The echocardiogram will examine certain parameters, such as the size and structure of the chambers of your heart, its ejection fraction (or average volume of blood pumped out with each beat), the presence of any leaks or restrictions in your heart valves, and the direction and speed of blood flow through your heart; our Doctors will help you understand the results of your echocardiogram.
Your Doctor will analyse these results in detail, and may recommend further testing or treatment if any problems are identified. It’s important to follow-up with your Doctor to discuss the results and any next steps that may be necessary.
Who Needs A Heart Scan?
Heart scans have a particularly high yield in people aged over 40. However, current and former smokers have a much higher risk of developing heart disease at any age. Likewise, people with diabetes and high blood pressure are also at an increased risk of developing a cardiac problem. Genetics and family history also play a role in the development of heart muscle conditions, such as cardiomyopathy, or blocked coronary arteries. It is advisable to get regular heart scans if you have any of these risk factors.
Book Your Heart Scan Today – ECG Testing Specialists
Our cardiac experts in Farnham (Surrey) and Hartley Wintney (Hampshire) can perform ECG testing and a cardiac ultrasound scan that takes less than 60 minutes, providing you with in-depth results within 24 hours. These painless procedures allow our experts to identify any underlying issues before they deteriorate. If you would like more information, please get in touch with us here.
