Welcome to my site about tactics you can use to cope with hospitalization. I am Edward Collins. I created this site after a long hospitalization left me feeling uncomfortable and dying to go home. I was ill-prepared for the lengthy stay at that facility. Despite my nurses and doctors’ best efforts, I felt lonely, bored and somewhat isolated during my stay. On this site, I will help you prepare for hospitalization well before you need your next medical procedure. Please come by my site daily to learn the information you need to know. Thank you for visiting my website about preparing for hospitalization.
If your doctor recommends that you get an ultrasound, it is usually because they need to perform further testing in order to make a formal diagnosis. Ultrasounds can be done to look more closely at the liver, prostate, heart, womb, or other internal areas of the body. An ultrasound uses sound waves emitted at very high frequencies that produce an image of the area being tested. This image lets your doctor get a better look at the parts of the body in question. Here is what you need to know if you're scheduled to have an ultrasound.
Preparation
In most cases, there is not much that needs to be done to prepare for an ultrasound. Your doctor will ask you to remove all jewelry and may need you to lift or remove certain parts of clothing so they can apply the ultrasound device to your skin. For patients who are having the test done to look for gallstones, you may be asked not to eat or drink for several hours before the test is performed. If you have to have a pelvic ultrasound, your doctor may ask you to have a full bladder at the time of the test.
How Ultrasounds Are Performed
In most cases, you'll be asked to put on a gown and lay down on an examination table. A cool gel will be applied to the areas being tested to prevent pockets of air from forming. Those air pockets can interfere with the sound waves, and the gel helps prevent the pockets from forming. A small device is then run across your skin over the areas being tested, and the technician will move it slowly to get a good visual image. They may have to repeat the process a few times to capture a clear image. Most ultrasounds are done outside of the body, but exceptions are made for ultrasounds of the esophagus, prostate, and uterus. For those tests, a probe may need to be inserted. Overall, ultrasounds are painless and usually only last a few minutes to an hour.
Your Results
At the end of the test, the image captured will be sent to your doctor or a specialist to take a closer look. They will analyze the image and look for things like polyps, cysts, tumors, or other issues depending on the reason for your ultrasound. Your doctor will contact you about the results and make recommendations for the next course of treatment. An ultrasound is a helpful tool for making a clear diagnosis, but if you're ever in doubt be sure you get a second opinion. For more information, talk to an ultrasound professional like EVDI Medical Imaging.
Share11 January 2016
