Focus On Technology: The Power of Ultrasound (4pg)

Focus On Technology: The Power of Ultrasound

For many people, an ultrasound is the imaging tool used during a woman’s pregnancy to evaluate a baby’s health. But an ultrasound, which uses sound waves to produce images of the body’s organs, muscles and circulatory system, is also used for other diagnostic procedures. The advantages are many. An ultrasound is noninvasive. There is no radiation involved, and a typical exam takes only 30 minutes to an hour to perform. Here are just a few of the ways physicians are using the power of the ultrasound:

Vascular Screenings: Physicians can use ultrasound to identify narrowing of the blood vessels that may lead to a stroke, or to detect a blockage (thrombosis) in an artery and widening of the blood vessels, which may indicate an aneurysm.

Muscles and Tendons: Abnormalities or tears in the tendons and muscles, such as the rotator cuff or the Achilles tendon, can be examined using an ultrasound.

Cancer: If an abnormality is detected during a mammogram or physical exam, an ultrasound is often used to gather more information instead of undergoing an invasive biopsy. An ultrasound is also used in the detection of thyroid and ovarian cancers.

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