10 Heart and Lung Conditions That Are Diagnosed with Cardiac Ultrasound

Medical technology is so advanced now that we can use ultrasound to diagnose problems with the heart and lungs. Read more to learn what conditions we use an echocardiogram for and how to prepare for this helpful and painless test.

Wouldn't it be great if there was a machine that allowed your cardiologist to take real-time pictures of your heart to diagnose problems and evaluate its health? Great news – it already exists in the form of an echocardiogram or cardiac ultrasound.

Echocardiograms are one of the many diagnostic tests the Heart Clinic of Hammond team utilizes to diagnose harmful heart and lung conditions. They can find problems like cardiomyopathy or blood clots in the heart or lungs.

Dr. Ghiath Mikdadi and Dr. Farid Zayed are our two experienced, board-certified cardiologists. They offer echocardiograms, stress testing, and coronary intervention at their Hammond and Amite, Indiana offices.

What is a cardiac ultrasound?

A cardiac ultrasound, better known as an echocardiogram, is a test doctors use to evaluate the health of your heart and lungs. It uses high-frequency sound waves to visualize your heart, its chambers, and other structures in the chest.

The echo machine does not emit radiation, making it safe and noninvasive. The procedure is simple: it uses only a handheld wand to deliver sound waves through your skin to your heart.

Different types of cardiac ultrasounds help our team diagnose different cardiac conditions. The most common are transesophageal echocardiograms, transthoracic echocardiograms, and exercise stress echocardiograms.

We may also use an echocardiogram with other tests, like an EKG, to get a picture of your heart health. Depending on any additional tests we use, the EKG test takes about an hour.

Conditions we diagnose with an Echo

You may need an echocardiogram for many reasons, including if you feel symptoms such as chest pain or to monitor heart disease and other conditions that you already have. We may utilize it as a diagnostic tool if we think you have any of the following conditions:

1. Pulmonary artery hypertension

Pulmonary artery hypertension happens when the blood pressure in the lungs is unusually high. It's dangerous because it causes the heart to work harder to get blood into the lungs, causing cardiac and pulmonary symptoms.

2. Pulmonary vasculopathy

If you experience shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and fatigue, we may use the echocardiogram to diagnose pulmonary vasculopathy. This condition covers any vascular anomaly in the lungs that could be causing your symptoms.

3. Pericarditis

A sac encases the heart to protect it, but it may become inflamed or infected. We use the ultrasound to detect pericarditis, an inflammation of that sac that can be very dangerous.

4. Pericardial effusion

A pericardial effusion happens when fluid surrounds the heart. It may cause symptoms like chest pain, swelling, and shortness of breath.

5. Blood clots

Blood clots are dangerous in the heart and lungs and cause various symptoms. An echocardiogram is a quick and efficient test that allows us to see if there's a clot and the location of the clot for fast treatment.

6. Tumors

If we suspect you have a tumor in the heart or lungs, we can utilize the echocardiogram to assess the growth, location, and size to develop a treatment plan.

7. Heart failure

The echocardiogram can show our team if your heart can't pump blood efficiently throughout the body, which causes heart failure.

8. Heart valve damage

The valves of the heart allow blood to flow to the different chambers. An echocardiogram enables us to see if the valves are working correctly or if they have damage or a leak, which could be causing various symptoms.

9. Heart attack damage

After a heart attack, the heart muscle sustains damage that we can see with a cardiac ultrasound, which can help us diagnose a prior heart attack or current symptoms that link to heart damage.

10. Congenital heart disease

We also utilize an echocardiogram to diagnose congenital disabilities that could affect the heart. A hole in the wall of the heart is a prevalent congenital heart disease we can see with a cardiac ultrasound.

Our team evaluates your symptoms and medical history to determine whether an echocardiogram is the proper test for your condition. Once we have a diagnosis, we discuss whether further testing or treatments are necessary to keep your heart and lungs healthy.

Call the Heart Clinic of Hammond team today to schedule a cardiac ultrasound appointment with Dr. Mikdadi or Dr. Zayed, or you can request a consultation on our website.