An echocardiogram (echo) is a graphic outline of the heart’s movement. During an echo test, ultrasound (high-frequency sound waves) from a hand-held wand placed on your chest provides pictures of the heart’s valves and chambers and helps the sonographer evaluate the pumping action of the heart.

An echo is a sound that is repeated because the sound waves are reflected back. Sound waves can bounce off smooth, hard objects in the same way as a rubber ball bounces off the ground. Although the direction of the sound changes, the echo sounds the same as the original sound.

An echocardiogram, or “echo”, is a scan used to look at the heart and nearby blood vessels. It’s a type of ultrasound scan, which means a small probe is used to send out high-frequency sound waves that create echoes when they bounce off different parts of the body.