Echocardiography
An echocardiogram gives your healthcare team a detailed picture of how well your heart is moving and pumping blood. Find out how it can help spot the early signs of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).1,2
2 min read
Looking at:
The structure and function of your heart, as well as how well blood moves through it to the lungs.1
What to expect:
Echocardiography uses sound waves to create a detailed moving image of your heart.1 The doctor or nurse will move a probe over your chest to get different images, a bit like the ultrasound performed on pregnant women. It will also create a measure of the blood pressure in the right side of your heart (that pumps blood into your lungs), which helps the doctors spot and treat PAH.
It’s a completely painless test and will only take from 15 minutes to an hour.2
Understanding your results:
Your doctor will analyse the results and discuss these with you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
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NHS Choices. Echocardiogram. Available: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/echocardiogram/ [Accessed December 2021].
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Grünig E, Peacock AJ. Imaging the heart in pulmonary hypertension: an update. Eur Respir Rev 2015; 24: 653-664.
"They discovered I had quite severe fibrosis of my lungs. I was referred to a specialist hospital and things have improved with treatment, which is good."
– Mandy