Echocardiography or echo, is a painless test that uses sound waves to create moving pictures of the heart. The pictures show the size and shape of the heart. They also show how well heart’s chambers and valves are working.

Echo also can identify areas of heart muscle that are not contracting well because of poor blood flow or injury from a previous heart attack.

Echo can detect possible blood clots inside the heart, fluid buildup in the pericardium (the sac around the heart), and problems with the major blood vessels of the heart.