What Is Ultrasound? Know The Detailed Process!

Health Tips 09 Dec 2022

An Ultrasound is a medical test which uses high-frequency sound waves to capture live pictures of the internal organs. It is also called sonography. The scanned image on the monitor is called a sonogram. It allows the doctor to detect problems with organs and blood vessels without an incision. No radiation is used during the scanning process. It is the safest method to view a fetus during pregnancy.

Ultrasound scans or sonography use sound echoes to produce an image. The scan acts as a guide for surgeons during some biopsy procedures. The ultrasound test price is quite affordable in India so it is widely prescribed by doctors to diagnose the internal condition of the abdomen.

What Does A Sonogram Show?

A trained sonographer or a radiologist carries out the scanning.

Ultrasound acts as guidance during performing biopsies.
Internal organs like the liver, kidneys, pancreas, thyroid gland, testes and ovaries can be examined.
The scan can reveal if a lump is a cancerous tumor or fluid-filled cyst.
Helps to diagnose problems with soft tissues, muscles, blood vessels and joints. It can investigate a frozen shoulder or tennis elbow.
Doppler ultrasound assesses the flow of blood in a vessel or blood pressure.
If you have pain or swelling, an ultrasound can view the internal organs such as the bladder, eyes, kidneys, liver, and spleen.
An echocardiogram or ECG can create cardiovascular system images and measure blood flow.
A Doppler ultrasound can investigate the cardiac valve's function, any heart abnormalities, or blood leaking from valves.
It can examine the walls of blood vessels.
It can check for any DVT or an aneurysm.
It can monitor the fetal heart during pregnancy.
An ultrasound scan is used by anesthetists, which helps them to guide a needle with anesthetic solutions near nerves.

How Is An Ultrasound Performed?

A gel-like water-based solution is applied to the area to be scanned; the gel helps to transmit the sound waves. After the procedure is over, the gel will be cleaned off with tissue paper.

What Are The Procedures To Be Followed?

Sonography takes around 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can experience no pain during the sonography.
No preparation is needed, and the patients have to wear comfortable clothes.
If the person is suffering from liver or gallbladder disease, he has to fast for a few hours before the scanning.
During the scan for pregnancy, women should drink plenty of water and avoid urinating before the sonography. The full bladder helps the scanning produce a finer image of the uterus.

Ultrasound can be external or internal. Depending on the type of scan, the process of sonography is as follows :

External Sonography: The radiologist applies a lubricating gel onto the patient's skin, puts the transducer over the lubricated skin, and adjusts the position. The transducer is moved over to get a clear view. This type of Ultrasound is done to check the heart or a fetus.

Internal Ultrasound: In the case of the reproductive organs or urinary system, the transducer is placed in the rectum or the vagina.

An endoscope is used to investigate the internal organs for evaluating the digestive system, like the esophagus and the chest lymph nodes.

A light and an ultrasound device are attached to the end of the endoscope and inserted through the mouth. Internal Ultrasound is not comfortable, and there is a risk of internal bleeding or uneasiness.

Preparation Before The Test

Do not wear any jewelry in the scan room.
Do not eat any food and water for 8-12 hours.
For kidney scans, drink 4 to 6 glasses of water before the sonography.

Risks Involved :

Ultrasound scanning is completely safe, and there are no known risks.

Sound waves do not travel through bone, so it is not so effective in the areas hidden by bones, such as the lungs or head. Ultrasound can not detect the issues which lay deep in the human body. For such areas, CT or MRI scans are advisable.

Ultrasound Test Price

The Ultrasound cost can vary from Rs 1200 to Rs 2500 depending on factors like the city or area where you live, the accessibility of the diagnostic centers, and the part of the body to be examined. Search on the website for Ultrasound cost prices, and you can get lots of information related to the scan.