What Is Ultrasound and What Is Ultrasound Used For?

Medical technology has succeeded in harnessing different methods to determine what is happening inside our bodies. Such is the case with ultrasound, or sonography, one of the most common radiology and imaging studies, which physicians across many specialties may order for the diagnosis and treatment of numerous diseases or injuries. Below we explain how it works.

What Is Ultrasound?

There are many types of waves, and one of them is mechanical waves, which are used in ultrasound. These are sound waves not perceptible to the human ear, which can be used to diagnose various conditions, as well as to assess the general health of our bodies. In gynecology, ultrasounds are commonly used to track the progress of a possible pregnancy or the health of the reproductive system.

Ultrasound also has therapeutic applications following injuries, mainly orthopedic injuries, which may involve immobilization. 

Ultrasound is nothing more than the conversion of electrical energy into mechanical waves, and this is done by the medical equipment also called an ultrasound or sonography machine. It is a noninvasive process, and therefore neither painful nor harmful to the body. This is why there is no limit to how many ultrasounds, or other studies based on this same principle, you can undergo.

These mechanical vibrations occur upon contact with an elastic medium, such as the skin. The sound waves bounce off the structures of our body by means of a transducer, which in turn displays a real-time image on a monitor.

How Does Medical Ultrasound Work?

In medical ultrasound, waves are used to diagnose many conditions or diseases associated with gynecology and the digestive system, although it is also used in cardiology, urology, orthopedics, ophthalmology, endocrinology, and other medical specialties. 

The most important part of the equipment used for diagnostic ultrasound is the transducer probe, since it is responsible for sending and receiving waves to create the echo effect that produces images of the body. A cold gel is applied to the area of the body being examined, which helps transmit the body's images.

Another use of ultrasound is in various surgical procedures, using sterile probes to assess the internal structure to be treated as the procedure progresses. Such is the case with ultrasound-guided biopsies, which give the interventional physician a clear picture of where to take the tissue sample that will be examined under a microscope.

This type of ultrasound, in turn, has two categories: the first is the anatomical, which is used to obtain images of the body's internal structure, whether tissues or organs. The second is the functional, which allows the velocity of tissues or blood to be merged with other information to produce “information maps.”

One of the most important advances in ultrasound is that results can now be obtained in 3D, 4D, and color. This latter feature is known as Doppler ultrasound. All of this has been extremely helpful for studying the heart and its proper function, as well as arteries, liver inflammation, and many other regions of the body.

Ultrasound for Therapies

When we refer to therapeutic ultrasound, there is no change in the underlying principle of generating mechanical waves from electrical energy; the only difference is that in this case, the specialist will not give you images as results. 

The goal is for these waves to interact with the tissues of your body in order to modify them according to the pre-existing condition. Some examples include breaking down blood clots and tumors, heating certain areas to relax the muscle, and directing medication to specific locations.

This makes it possible to reduce inflammation and pain; it increases skin permeability without leaving any associated scarring, boosts enzyme production, and offers many other advantages. Depending on the purpose, there is an established frequency dose and a technique that can be either continuous or pulsed.

Are There Risks Associated with Ultrasound?

Ultrasound is noninvasive and painless for your body, which is why experts in medicine and radiology consider the risk associated with these studies and therapies to be nonexistent, especially compared with the radiation exposure involved in X-rays. 

However, you should know that these are two completely different studies with specific purposes depending on the area of the body to be assessed for a subsequent diagnosis, which is why only your physician can determine which imaging study is best for you.

To ensure your body's safety, what matters most is that you visit certified healthcare centers with extensive experience, ones that stay at the forefront in terms of equipment and updated information.

References

• Ultrasound. Terapia Física.
• Ultrasound. National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.