Ultrasound is a medical scanning test in a room using sonography. Sonography is medical equipment with high-frequency sound waves and captures live imaging inside the body. As you can see, pregnant women go to their OB-Gyne and check the condition of their baby inside the womb. They underwent ultrasound examination to check how the baby is inside the womb, whether it has a development problem or how the fetus is inside. The medical equipment is so much similar to the sonar and radar used by the military to detect ships and planes. An ultrasound allows the doctor to see and check possible problems with organs, tissues, and vessels without the need to make an incision. It is not the same as the other imaging techniques, it uses no radiation. Thus, it is very safe to use, especially in viewing a developing fetus.
Why use an ultrasound exam?
An ultrasound exam is performed through scanning with pregnancy. The scans provide expectant mothers with their first viewing of the unborn child. The ultrasound san antonio has many other uses, such as those who are having swelling, pain, or any other symptoms that need internal viewing of the organs. An ultrasound viewing provides examinations of the following:
- Brain (infants)
- Bladder
- Eyes
- Ovaries
- Liver
- Gallbladder
- Spleen
- Pancreas
- Thyroid
- Uterus
- Blood vessels and more
Ultrasound is very helpful in providing a guide to surgeons during medical procedures like biopsies.
The ultrasound preparation
Preparing for an ultrasound depends on the organ or area that is being examined. The doctor will instruct you to fast for 8-12 hours before an ultrasound examination is performed, especially when the abdomen area is to be examined. It is difficult for a technician to get a clear view of having undigested food, it may block the sound waves. For gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, or liver examination, you may be instructed to eat fat-free food in the evening before taking the test and fast until the procedure takes place. But, it is fine to drink water. For the other ultrasound examinations, you will be told to drink lots of water and hold urine to fill the bladder and get better visualization. It is very important to follow the instructions and ask questions before the procedure. An ultrasound exam or test uses no radiation, which means it is not risky.
How is an ultrasound performed?
Before the exam, the patient wears a hospital gown. The patient will be lying down on the bed with a section of the body being exposed for the test. If the abdomen section is going to get tested, then the abdominal part is exposed. The sonographer is the ultrasound technician who applies a special jelly on the skin to prevent friction. The ultrasound transducer has a similar shape and looks like a microphone. The jelly applied helps transmit the sound waves. The transducer will send high-frequency sound waves through the body. These waves hit the dense object, which reflected into the computer. It forms a picture that is to be interpreted by a doctor.
The ultrasound procedure is not painful, which can last for approximately 30 minutes.
