Echocardiogram (Heart Ultrasound) | Private Heart Care UK

What is an echocardiogram?

An echocardiogram (often called an “echo”) is a non-invasive ultrasound scan of your heart. It allows us to assess how well your heart muscle pumps, how your valves function, and how blood flows through your heart.

How is it performed?

You’ll lie comfortably on your left side as a specialist cardiac physiologist uses a small ultrasound probe with warm gel to take moving pictures of your heart. The scan is non-invasive and involves moving the probe to different positions to view your heart from multiple angles.

What does it look at?

How strongly your heart pumps

Heart valve structure and function

Heart size and muscle thickness

Blood flow around the heart

Fluid around the heart

Clues to raised pressures in the lungs

It is commonly used to investigate:

Shortness of breath (at rest or on exertion)

Chest discomfort or chest pain

Palpitations or awareness of heartbeat

Heart murmurs

Reduced exercise tolerance

Swelling in the legs or fluid retention

Is an echo the right test for me?

An echocardiogram is often the best first test if symptoms may relate to heart structure or pumping function.

If your symptoms relate more to heart rhythm, blood pressure regulation, or posture (e.g. dizziness on standing), other tests such as:

Ambulatory ECG (Holter monitor)

Blood pressure monitoring

Tilt table testing

Exercise testing

Parity / Hypertensive screening — to assess cardiac structure and alternative causes

Additional clinical indications include:

Pre-operative cardiac assessment

Long COVID with persistent cardiac symptoms

Suspected cardiomyopathy or heart failure

Assessment of obesity-related cardiac changes

Assessment of pulmonary hypertension

Follow-up of known cardiac conditions

I’ll always guide you to the most appropriate test based on your symptoms and concerns.

Jennifer Spicer Principal Clinical Physiologist, Private Heart Care UK

Echocardiogram FAQs

We have answered the most common questions our patients ask.

What is an echocardiogram and what does it show? +

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound scan of your heart. It shows how your heart muscle contracts, how your valves open and close, the size and thickness of the heart chambers, and how blood flows through the heart. It can help identify conditions such as heart failure, valve disease, and cardiomyopathy.

Does an echocardiogram check for blocked arteries? +

An echocardiogram does not directly show coronary artery blockages. It assesses how well the heart muscle moves, which can provide indirect clues. Tests such as CT coronary angiography or exercise stress testing are better suited for evaluating the arteries directly.

When is an echocardiogram recommended? +

An echo is typically recommended when you experience breathlessness, chest discomfort, palpitations, a heart murmur, or swelling. It is also used for pre-operative cardiac assessment, monitoring known heart conditions, and evaluating the heart after COVID-19.

Can an echocardiogram explain breathlessness? +

Often yes. Breathlessness can be caused by a weak heart muscle, valve disease, or raised pressures in the lungs. An echocardiogram can assess all of these and help determine whether your heart is contributing to your symptoms.

Are echocardiograms safe? +

Completely safe. An echo uses ultrasound (sound waves), not radiation. It is non-invasive, involves no needles, and is safe for everyone, including during pregnancy.

How long does an echocardiogram take? +

Most appointments take around 30 to 45 minutes. This includes the scan itself and time for the physiologist to take all the necessary measurements and images.

Book Your Echocardiogram

Still not sure? I’m happy to help. Please email askme@drayyazsultan.com and my team will get back to you.

Your heart health is important —let’s check it together.

Jennifer Spicer