When reading an ECG, a physician will note the elevations and depressions of the three segments of the heart beat. This noninvasive procedure is safe and can be done in a cardiologist's office or laboratory as well as in the hospital. Before the test, a gel or oil is spread on your chest to improve the transmission of the ultrasound waves. Then a health care provider will move a special device called a transducer across your chest. A physician will order an echocardiogram to observe how the heart functions.
Echocardiography works like sonar.
Sound waves are directed into the chest, and an audio and visual recording is made of how the waves rebound from the heart's walls and valves. From this moving picture, the physician can determine the shape, texture and function of the valves and heart chambers. In a color Doppler study, like the one below, the physician can also determine the direction and velocity of blood flow, as represented by the different colors. An echocardiogram is painless, and posses no risk to the patient. The first frame shows a color flow Doppler study from a normal, healthy heart.