Types of Tests for Diagnosing Heart Conditions

 Test for Diagnosing Heart Conditions:

To identify common heart conditions you need to have some tests. 

• Blood pressure test

• Pulse rate test

• X-rays

• Stress Test

Blood pressure test:

Blood pressure test measures the pressure in the arteries of the heart pumps.  Usually blood pressure take two aspects 

• Systolic Pressure (High Reading) - This concept will see the pressure in the blood vessel. The force of blood which enters arteries.

• Diastolic pressure (Lower Reading) - This concept records the pressure when blood fills the heart.

Blood pressure is something different that the pressure will increase or decrease based on the mood, time, energy and environment. So raising blood pressure in one session and decreasing blood pressure in the evening session makes no sense. 

Blood pressure is always taken during “White Coat Effect '' because throughout the day the blood pressure changes. During white coat effect, the person who takes a blood pressure test should at least be calm for 15 mins. 

The white coat effect value which derives from the test is the average and correct blood pressure value. Always keep in mind that you must be relaxed while taking blood pressure. Just sit calm and lean towards the back of the chair and wait for 5 mins. Everything will be okay.

Sometimes doctors prefer to take 2 to 3 times of blood pressure for a single day. This is to gather an average for the blood pressure. 

Echocardiogram: 

Echocardiogram in short, people call it echo,  is a kind of ultrasound scan for the heart. The machine sends a high frequency sound wave and then creates the image of the heart. 

Echocardiogram is a painless procedure performed by a specialized physician either in a hospital or diagnostic center. Usually a gel is applied over the body and ultrasound probe is used on the area of the heart.  The technician checks any abnormalities in the heart and its surroundings.

Uses of echocardiogram

• It can check the size of the heart

• The imaging shows you about the strength of the heart muscle

• Checks the the heart’s nearby blood vessels

• Helps us to check the heart valves performance as well.

• With the help of the probe we can easily detect, if any heart attack has happen

• Any sudden heart failure

• Congenital heart disease (heart disease from birth defect)

• Cardiomyopathy, sometimes heart walls become thickened

• Endocarditis. Any damages in heart valves

Here are the types of echocardiogram

• Transoesophageal echocardiogram

• A stress echocardiogram

• Contrast Echocardiogram

Transoesophageal Echocardiogram (TOE) 

Well trained doctors perform this procedure, a small probe passes through the mouth and goes near the food pipe and sends high frequency sound waves to capture the imaging. Anesthesia will be provided for the patient (local anesthetic spray), which has already become common in recent years.

Stress Echocardiogram - 

A TTE test is performed with a small set of physical exercises (Treadmill and exercise bike) and sometimes the doctors will give you medication where the heart performs a little bit harder with this the doctors decide if the patient has any heart abnormalities.