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Echocardiogram (Echo) in Sterling Heights and Warren, Michigan
See Your Heart’s Health Clearly With Safe, Painless Echocardiogram Testing in Sterling Heights and Warren, MI.
An echocardiogram is an ultrasound-based test that provides a live image of your heart. This test allows doctors at Forum Medical Clinic to assess heart health by visualizing the heart muscle, valves, and surrounding blood vessels, and checking for issues like blood clots or fluid around the heart.
Doctors may recommend an echocardiogram if you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or have a history of heart issues. It’s often used for patients who’ve experienced heart abnormalities or irregular heartbeats, providing essential insights into heart health without the use of radiation.
- Transthoracic Echocardiogram (TTE) – The standard, non-invasive echo test that uses a handheld transducer on the chest to capture heart images.
- Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE) – A test with a transducer passed through the esophagus for clearer, more detailed heart images.
- Stress Echocardiogram – Combines exercise with echo imaging to view heart performance under physical stress.
Common Questions
An echocardiogram uses ultrasound to create images of the heart, helping doctors assess muscle and valve function, blood flow, and any abnormalities.
An echocardiogram is often recommended after a heart attack or if tests reveal irregular heart rhythms. It can help diagnose chest pain, shortness of breath, and heart function issues.
Echocardiograms are very safe and use no radiation. Minor discomfort may occur when removing the electrodes, and a sore throat may result if a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) is performed.
For most echocardiograms, no special preparation is needed. For a TEE, avoid eating before the test and arrange for someone to drive you home due to the sedative.
You’ll wear a hospital gown, and a cardiac sonographer will place electrodes on your chest to monitor heart activity. The sonographer will move a transducer on your chest with gel to capture images of your heart.
Your doctor will review the results, checking for any abnormalities in heart muscle, valve function, or heart structure. If anything concerning is found, you may be referred to a cardiologist.
- Transthoracic Echocardiogram (TTE): A non-invasive, standard echo using a transducer on the chest.
- Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE): Provides clearer images via a small transducer passed through the esophagus.
- Stress Echocardiogram: Combines exercise with echo imaging to assess heart performance under physical stress.