An ultrasound machine uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of the inside of your body. Doctors use it to look at soft tissues and organs and to check on babies during pregnancy. It does not use radiation.
How Does an Ultrasound Machine Work?
- Transducer probe: The technician holds this small device against your skin. It sends sound waves into your body and picks up the echoes.
- Sound waves: The waves bounce off tissues, organs, and fluids and return to the probe.
- Image formation: The machine turns the echoes into live pictures on a monitor.
What Is an Ultrasound Used For?
- Pregnancy: It shows how a baby grows and develops.
- Abdomen: It shows the liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, and kidneys.
- Heart: An echocardiogram is a special ultrasound that shows how the heart works.
- Other uses: Doctors also use it to guide needles during some procedures.
How to Prepare
Preparation depends on the scan. For an abdominal ultrasound, you may need to fast for several hours. For a pelvic ultrasound, you may need a full bladder. Your doctor will tell you what to do.
What to Expect
The technician spreads a clear gel on your skin and moves the probe over the area. The scan is painless and usually takes 15 to 30 minutes.