When you or someone you know has a heart problem, you’ll come across these acronyms—ECHO, ECG, and EKG. These are medical tests that involve looking at the heart. So, what’s the difference? The main key difference is that ECHO checks the heart’s structure. On the other hand, ECG and EKG are interchangeable terms for detecting the heart’s electrical impulses. Keep reading for an in-depth analysis of ECHO vs. ECG vs. EKG.
Related:
- Elevation vs Altitude: What’s the Difference?
- Coarse vs. Course: What’s the Difference?
- Conscience vs Conscious: What’s the Difference?
What Is an Echocardiogram (ECHO) and How Does It Work?
As we’ve mentioned before, an echocardiogram, or ECHO, analyzes the structure of your heart. A cardiologist (a heart doctor) uses an ultrasound probe to send sound waves through your heart and the vessels around it, which are then bounced back. That “bounce back” creates an image on the screen that can tell the doctor exactly what is happening.
Different Types of Echocardiogram
An ECHO covers many different possible diseases and injuries. Because of that, various types of ECHO’s are more specialized.
- Transesophageal echocardiogram (TOE): This type of ECHO involves inserting a probe down the throat (esophagus).
- Stress echocardiogram: For a stress ECG, your heart is made to work hard, either through medicine or exercise.
- Contrast echocardiogram: This type of ECHO uses a special solution called a contrast agent, making your heart and its veins more visible.
- Transthoracic echocardiogram: A TTE is the most common ECHO test. Reading the waves can take 15 minutes to an hour.
What Is the Purpose of an Echocardiogram?
A doctor will request an ECHO to examine your heart, its blood flow, and its performance while it pumps.
An ECHO can detect problems with the valves in your heart, damage after a heart attack, or thickening of the heart walls (cardiomyopathy). It can also monitor congenital heart disease.
Ultimately, an ECHO tells the doctor which area of the heart and its surrounding tissue is not working correctly.
What to Expect During an Echocardiogram?
Before you begin, you will remove everything from your upper torso. A nurse will then place electrodes on your body. The other end of the electrodes are connected to a heart monitor.
Next, the room is darkened, and an ultrasound gel is applied to your chest. The probe is then placed on your chest, and the cardiac sonographer (or echocardiographer) moves it around while watching the monitor. They will also take videos or pictures for the doctor to review later.
If your doctor asks you to have a TTE exam, the entire process can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. For more complex types of ECHO, it can take up to 2 hours.
What Is an Electrocardiogram (ECG) and How Does It Work?
An electrocardiogram, or ECG, is also a non-invasive test for your heart. But unlike ECHO, it measures the heart’s electrical signals. Differences in the waves can diagnose arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythm), heart attacks, heart failure, and a multitude of other conditions.
If you are wondering what the difference is between ECG and EKG, there are none, except for the spelling. They are the same test – electrocardiogram. EKG is derived from the German spelling “Elektrokardiogramm.” On the other hand, ECG is derived from the English spelling “Electrocardiogram.”
Different Types of Electrocardiogram
Depending on what your doctor suspects, you may undergo one of these types of electrocardiogram:
- Exercise ECG (stress test): This type of ECG assesses how your heart reacts while you are exercising. You’ll be performing this test either on a treadmill or a stationary bike while the electrodes are attached to your chest.
- Cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET): CPET looks at your heart and your lungs simultaneously.
- Holter monitor: With a Holter monitor, you will be wearing the electrodes along with a small recording device for an extended time.
- Resting 12-lead EKG: This is the standard ECG test where you must remain perfectly still for 5 to 10 minutes. Keep in mind that the number of leads can vary.
- Signal-averaged electrocardiogram: If abnormal heartbeats occur intermittently, your doctor might order a signal-averaged electrocardiogram (SAECG). Unlike the other types, SAECG is more detailed because it strengthens some signals (called late potentials).
What Is the Purpose of an Electrocardiogram?
Doctors recommend an electrocardiogram to detect past or silent heart attacks. It can also detect blocked blood vessels, arrhythmia, thickening of the heart walls, and heart failure. If you are undergoing a heart treatment, an ECG can also determine if the treatment is working.
What to Expect During an Electrocardiogram?
Like ECHO, you do not have to do any special preparations for an ECG unless your doctor has advised otherwise.
You will remove the clothing covering your chest and possibly your legs. The electrodes do not go into the body at all; instead, a cardiac technician will put the sticky pads on your skin.
These electrodes connect to a computer that translates the electrical impulses of your heart. This can either appear on a monitor or get printed out for the doctor to review.
Besides possibly seeing some itchiness or irritation after the sticky electrodes are removed, there is no risk when getting an electrocardiogram.
What’s the Difference?
Whether you get an ECHO vs. ECG vs. EKG depends on what the doctor is looking for (and how they spell).
ECHO
As mentioned earlier, an echocardiogram (ECHO) uses ultrasound technology to examine the physical structure of the heart. ECHOs may be done after an ECG/EKG to get a better picture of what is wrong. An ECHO test will examine the size of the different tissues of your heart, how your heart beats, and how your heart valves are functioning.
ECG/EKG
Both ECG and EKG stand for the same test: electrocardiogram. It uses electrodes to examine the electrical performance of your heart. This is a fast and easy test to immediately establish a baseline when you come in with heart-related symptoms. It can also be done to monitor or confirm certain conditions, usually in conjunction with an ECHO.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know the difference between an ECHO vs. ECG vs. EKG, you can go into your medical appointment with confidence. Remember, ECHO uses ultrasound to check your heart’s structure, while ECG and EKG are the same test that uses electrodes to evaluate your heart’s electrical activity.
