Precautions To Be Taken While Going For An Ultrasound

Ultrasound is one of the most common methods used by doctors to view the internal organs of the human body. Ultrasound is considered to be one of the safest methods used to check internal problems of the body. This procedure uses sound waves to create an image of the parts inside of the body. it is a painless procedure.

There are different types of ultrasound scans, depending on which part of the body is to be scanned. With the increase in technology, there will be even more uses of ultrasound in near future. Ultrasound helps to diagnose the causes of swelling, infection, and pain in the internal organs, also it is used to examine unborn children in pregnant women.

Ultrasound uses no radiations due to this it is preferred to be the safest method of viewing a fetus during pregnancy. Ultrasound is mostly considered for pregnancy but it also provides a view of the gallbladder, kidneys, brain, ovaries, etc.

• What is an Ultrasound?

Ultrasound refers to viewing images of internal organs of the body without radiations. Ultrasound is done with the help of sound waves. It requires a monitor to view the image of the internal organ. It is also known as sonography as it uses

So in this article, we will discuss various precautions that you need to take while going for an ultrasound.

1. Jewelry:

It is mandatory to remove jewelry from the area being examined.

2. Clothing:

When going for an ultrasound it is important to wear comfortable clothing or loose-fitted clothes because the organ where ultrasound needs to be done requires no clothing. You can also change into a patient gown for the procedure.

3. Drinking water:

It is very important to drink 8-10 glasses of water before an ultrasound also after drinking water one should not go to the toilet until you are examined.

4. Eating:

One should avoid eating before an ultrasound. When scanning the liver, gallbladder, and digestive system it is recommended to be an empty stomach. An empty stomach makes it easy to view images of the internal organ.

5. Medications:

If you are a diabetic patient you can take your medicines before an ultrasound.

6. Urine:

Ultrasound is only done when you have a full bladder. So it’s important to drink lots of water so that you have an urge to urinate, but you don’t have to urinate.

• TYPES OF ULTRASOUNDS:

There are different types of ultrasounds scans, depending on the organ that is to be scanned.

The 3 main types of ultrasounds are

• External Ultrasound
• Internal Ultrasound
• Endoscopic Ultrasound

1. EXTERNAL ULTRASOUND:

In an external ultrasound, the probe is moved over the skin. This type of ultrasound is done to examine the heart or unborn baby in the womb. It can also be used to examine the organs or tissues that can be examined through the skin like muscles or joints. In this method, a lubricating gel is put on the skin and the probe is moved smoothly on the skin to get an image of an internal organ. It is one of the safest and most painless methods of scanning.

2. INTERNAL ULTRASOUND:

In this method, the probe is gently passed into the vagina. it is also known as transvaginal. This method helps to look more closely inside of the body to view organs such as ovaries. This method is also painless but causes little discomfort.

3. ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND :

In this method, an endoscope is inserted into the mouth to get pictures of your food pipe. You are also given a mouth guard to protect your teeth. An endoscope consists of an ultrasound device in the end. It also uses sound waves just like external ultrasound.

• BENEFITS OF ULTRASOUND:

1. This is one of the painless methods and requires no needles to examine the body
2. This is also the safest method as it does not produce any radiations like x-rays. It uses soundwaves to view images of the internal body
3. It is a less expensive method and is widely used.
4. Ultrasound helps to capture clear images than x-ray.

So from the above article, it is clear that ultrasound is one of the safest ways to view the internal body. it is better than an x-ray as it provides a clear image and doesn’t use harmful radiation. It uses sound waves to capture the image. It is also important to take all the precautions mentioned above before going for an ultrasound.