A well-known use of ultrasounds is letting parents see their unborn babies.
Ultrasonography uses high-frequency sound waves to create a picture of what is going on inside your body and produce a real-time image.
Function
A transducer, which emits the high-frequency sound waves, is inserted or moved over the part of your body to be scanned. The picture is generated based on how the sound waves bounce back.
Types
Ultrasonography is used externally with such procedures as an echocardiogram for the heart or a musculoskeletal ultrasound checking for tears. Internal scans, according to the University of Virginia Health System, include vaginal or prostate exams and endoscopic ultrasounds, during which a transducer is put inside the chest or stomach to provide pictures of your internal organs.
Uses
Ultrasound can diagnose heart problems, thyroid gland disorders and some types of cancer. It can also be used for viewing blood vessels and monitoring fetal growth during pregnancy, reports Healthline.com.
Benefits
According to Healthline.com, ultrasound is painless and, unlike X-rays, does not use radiation.
Potential
Color Doppler sonography (CDS) has been developed to allow doctors to see the movement of fluids, such as blood, in color and the internal body structures like bones in black and white, says Healthline.com. This technology is especially applicable for pregnancies and tumors.
Fun Fact
According to Healthline.com, ultrasound machines use sound frequencies between 1 million and 15 million Hertz. Humans can only hear sounds between 20 and 20,000 Hertz.
Tags: sound waves, According Healthline, According Healthline ultrasound, Healthline ultrasound, high-frequency sound, high-frequency sound waves, your body
