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Cardiac & Vascular Health
Question #12897
51 days ago
95

is ecg and echo same - #12897

Riya

I am really confused about something that my doctor mentioned last week. I'm a bit worried because I've been feeling pretty weird lately, like my heart races sometimes and I get these odd chest sensations that come and go. Anyway, I went in for some tests, and they did an ECG and then later an echo. Then my doctor said they would be looking at both results. I thought the ECG and echo were the same, but my friend was like “No way, they are totally different” and now I’m lost! Can someone please clarify? What exactly is ECG and echo anyway? Are there reasons when you would need both tests? I mean, how do they check for problems in the heart if they're supposedly different tests? Is ECG and echo same when it comes to finding issues, or does one do more than the other? My doctor said something about how the echo gives a better view of the heart's function but I really don’t get it. Kinda stressing out here and trying to understand does one test cover what the other might miss? Please, if anyone could help me sort this out, I'd really appreciate it!

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Doctors’ responses

The ECG (electrocardiogram) and echo (echocardiogram) are different tests, and each serves a unique purpose in evaluating the heart. An ECG is a quick, non-invasive test that measures the electrical activity of your heart. It can help detect irregular heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation, signs of poor blood supply, previous heart attacks, and other electrical system-related issues within your heart. Think of it like a real-time snapshot of your heart’s electrical conduction system. The echo, on the other hand, is a type of ultrasound that provides a moving image of the heart in action. It gives a visual representation of heart structures and their motion — like a miniature movie of your heart. This allows practitioners to assess the size and shape of your heart, how well your heart chambers and valves are working, and even estimate the pressures within your heart. The reason both tests are often used together is that they complement each other rather than overlap. The ECG might pick up signs that suggest structural problems, which the echo can further clarify. In your case, if you’re experiencing heart racing and odd sensations, having both an ECG and an echo could be part of a thorough assessment to ensure nothing is missed. The echo can check for things like valve problems or issues with how the heart pumps, which the ECG doesn’t show. If your doctor mentioned the echo provides a better view of the heart’s function, it’s likely they are referring to these structural and functional assessments. It’s crucial to follow up on both test results with your doctor, because solving the puzzle of your symptoms often requires putting together information from multiple tests.

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