Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram uses sound waves to produce images of your heart. This common test allows your doctor to see how your heart is beating and pumping blood. Your doctor can use the images from an echocardiogram to identify various abnormalities in the heart muscle and valves.
Depending on what information your doctor needs, you may have one of several types of echocardiograms. Each type of echocardiogram has very few risks involved.
Electrocardiogram (EKG)
An electrocardiogram is a simple, painless test that records the heart's electrical activity. With each heartbeat, an electrical signal spreads from the top of the heart to the bottom. As it travels, the signal causes the heart to contract and pump blood. The process repeats with each new heartbeat. The heart's electrical signals set the rhythm of the heartbeat.
An EKG shows:
- How fast your heart is beating
- Whether the rhythm of your heartbeat is steady or irregular
- The strength and timing of electrical signals as they pass through each part of your heart
This test is used to detect and evaluate many heart problems, such as
heart attack,
arrhythmia, and
heart failure.
EKG results also can suggest other disorders that affect heart function.
Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT)
Pulmonary function tests are a group of test that measure how well the lungs take in and release air and how well they move gases such as oxygen from the atmosphere into the body’s circulation.