The technique known as echocardiography is widely used in detecting heart disease. Echocardiography is readily available, less expensive than other techniques, harmless to the patient and painless. When this technique is used, images of the structure of the heart are taken using ultra sound.
Ultra sounds are high frequency sound waves that are inaudible to the human ear.
This sound reflects differently from each part of the heart giving back a complex series of echoes that are then displayed as a series of lines on a tape or machine. These lines are then interpreted by a cardiologist. This technique is used to detect structural and functional abnormalities of the heart wall, valves or large blood vessels. It can also measure the blood flow across the valves of the heart. This technique is harmless and the patient will feel nothing as the procedure is being done.