The Power of Imaging: What Ultrasounds and Echocardiograms Can Reveal

In their early stages, many illnesses progress slowly and silently — without noticeable symptoms. Other times, you may experience new symptoms you can’t explain.

That’s where imaging comes in. Imaging offers a peek inside your body, enabling your doctor to detect changes in organs, bones and blood vessels and diagnose a variety of health issues. In that way, diagnostic imaging plays a key role in keeping you healthy, active and independent. This can often detect problems before symptoms become serious, giving your provider more opportunities for early treatment.

Here, we’ll explore some common imaging exams and what they can reveal about your health.

What Is an Ultrasound?

An ultrasound is an imaging test that uses sound waves to produce pictures of your blood vessels, tissues and organs. With these pictures, called sonograms, your doctor can see what’s happening inside your body — no surgery or radiation required.

Here are just a few things ultrasounds can do:

• Find the cause of pain, swelling and other symptoms.

• Identify the difference between cysts and tumors.

• Look for blockages, growths and structural problems.

Types of ultrasounds

Ultrasounds can be used to examine many different parts of the body, such as:

• Abdominal organs (e.g., gallbladder, liver, pancreas, spleen)

• Blood vessels

• Breasts

• Heart and valves

• Kidneys

• Pelvic organs (e.g., bladder, fallopian tubes, ovaries, prostate, rectum, uterus, vagina)

• Thyroid and parathyroid glands

For example, an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) ultrasound checks for dilation of the main artery in the abdomen before it becomes life-threatening. The Society for Vascular Surgery recommends a one-time screening ultrasound for adults ages 65 to 75 with a history of tobacco use.

What Is an Echocardiogram?

An echocardiogram (“echo”) is an ultrasound of the heart. With an echo, your doctor can see your heart’s chambers, valves and overall function to get a picture of how well your heart is working. An echo is painless, does not use radiation, and is one of the most common tests used to evaluate heart health.

More specifically, an echocardiogram reveals:

• The size and shape of your heart

• How your heart moves and pumps blood

• Your heart’s pumping strength

• If your heart valves are working correctly

This type of ultrasound is especially important for older adults, as heart disease occurs in 50% of people over 60 and 85% of people over 80. By catching subtle changes like thickened heart walls or minor valve leaks, an echocardiogram enables early detection and potentially lifesaving treatment.

Types of echocardiograms

There are several different types of echocardiograms, including:

• Transthoracic echo (TTE): This ultrasound checks for heart failure and can find the cause of a heart murmur. It’s the most common type of echo; most older adults will only need this standard, noninvasive exam.

• Transesophageal echo (TEE): If a TTE doesn’t provide enough detail, your doctor may order a TEE. During this echo, a small probe is inserted down the throat to get closer, clearer images of the heart and locate the source of a blood vessel blockage or prosthetic valve problem.

• Stress echo: This test checks how your heart performs during exercise and can help detect coronary artery disease. A stress echo might require walking on a treadmill, riding a stationary bike or taking targeted medication.

• Doppler echo: This ultrasound shows how blood moves through your veins and arteries and can help identify valve problems or abnormal blood flow.

What to Expect from an Ultrasound

Most ultrasound exams, including standard echocardiograms, require no preparation. However, you may need to fast before a gallbladder ultrasound, and a pelvic ultrasound may require a full bladder. Your provider will let you know if your exam requires any diet or medication changes.

During an ultrasound, a healthcare technician called a sonographer spreads gel over the area being examined. They move a wand-like device across your skin, sending high-frequency sound waves into your body. You can’t hear or feel the sound waves, which bounce off your internal organs and tissues. The device picks up the echoes and transforms them into images on a computer screen.

Ultrasounds typically take 30 minutes to an hour. The exams are safe and painless, leaving you free to go about your day immediately afterward. Once your doctor reviews the images, they will go over the results with you and determine any necessary next steps.

Why Your Provider May Recommend an Ultrasound or Echo

There are a few reasons your provider may recommend an ultrasound or echo. These tests can help doctors:

• Diagnose various medical conditions: An ultrasound can help diagnose or rule out possible causes of symptoms. For example, if you’re experiencing symptoms like chest pain​, dizziness, fainting, palpitations, shortness of breath, or swelling in your legs or abdomen, your doctor can use an echocardiogram to check for heart disease or heart failure.

• Investigate abnormal findings: If your primary care physician detects abnormal heart sounds during a routine physical exam, or an electrocardiogram reveals irregular heart rhythms, an echo can help get to the bottom of the problem. Or if a ​​mammogram reveals a mass, an ultrasound can help your provider assess the area and detect any cysts or tumors.

• Monitor existing conditions: If you have long-term conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, periodic ultrasounds or echocardiograms can track changes in function and measure the effectiveness of treatment.

Medicare Advantage Coverage for Ultrasounds and Echocardiograms

Medicare Advantage plans typically cover ultrasounds and echocardiograms when they’re deemed medically necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of a specific condition. However, your plan may require prior authorization to justify medical necessity before it will approve coverage.

In addition, you’ll likely need to see an in-network provider to get full coverage for a diagnostic ultrasound or echo. Out-of-network imaging may result in less coverage or none at all. Be sure you understand your plan’s requirements to get proper authorization and prepare for potential out-of-pocket costs.

Note: While Medicare does not typically cover screening ultrasounds, it covers one lifetime screening for those at risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

ArchWell Health Is Here to Help

Since the likelihood of health challenges like heart disease, hypertension and osteoarthritis increases with age, diagnostic imaging is particularly important for older adults. Ultrasounds and echocardiograms can help your doctor catch and treat these problems early, so you can enjoy more time living a healthy and independent life.

Talk to your doctor about whether it’s time for imaging — and remember, if your ArchWell Health provider orders an echocardiogram, you can get that imaging on-site at your local center.

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