10.08.2022

Benefits of Getting an Ultrasound


Many patients and doctors prefer the ultrasound over other diagnostic imaging tests. Ultrasound techniques rely on sound waves and their echoes to visualize tissues in the body.



An ultrasound scan offers many distinct advantages over other scans due to its safety and convenience. Some of the benefits of an ultrasound include the following:



Soft-Tissue Visualization


Ultrasound technology is excellent at visualizing soft tissues, such as organs and muscles. As the sound waves encounter tissues of different densities, an echo reflects and is measured by the ultrasound technology.






The characteristics of the echo, such as its intensity and timing, are based on the features of the soft tissue. Since tumors and other abnormalities usually have a different density from the surrounding tissue, they tend to show up clearly on ultrasound scans.






Some imaging methods, such as X-rays, are less reliable for examining soft tissue. These tests work best for hard tissues such as bone.






Safety


Ultrasound imaging relies solely on high-frequency sound waves to form images. Unlike other imaging tests, ultrasounds do not utilize radiation – so it’s impossible to get radiation-related health problems from an ultrasound scan.






Also, many imaging methods require the use of substances called contrast agents. These compounds are necessary to highlight certain bodily issues during diagnostic imaging. Patients usually take contrast agents as oral medications or through injections, so these substances circulate throughout the entire body. Some people are allergic to contrast agents, and ultrasound can work without the use of these contrast dyes – thereby making the scanning process safer for them.






Even after decades of use, there are no documented health risks or side effects that come from exposure to the high-frequency sound waves that come from ultrasound. This high safety factor is the reason that many healthcare providers recommend ultrasound testing as a first-line imaging technique.






Noninvasive Approach


Usually, the ultrasound technician only needs to apply the probe to the areas that need visualization, such as the belly of a pregnant woman or the neck of someone having their thyroid gland checked. Other times, the radiologist will have to place the probe inside the body cavities to get images of specific organs, but this still doesn’t require breaking the skin or causing impact to the body. For example, a transvaginal ultrasound is necessary to get clear pictures of the uterus and ovaries.






Sometimes ultrasound is used for guidance during real-time operations, such as positioning a probe inside the body. Even in these scenarios, the ultrasound procedure itself does not involve breaking the skin.






Accessibility and Speed


Ultrasounds are usually quick, with most sessions lasting only for a few minutes. Even the most intensive ultrasound scans only take up to an hour at most. Hence, ultrasound diagnostics are convenient for people who might be on a busy schedule.






Ultrasound is also relatively inexpensive as compared to other imaging services. The only substance required for ultrasound imaging is the water-based gel used to help the signals from the probe travel through the skin and organs. The low costs translate to a lower medical bill, which is another reason that doctors first recommend ultrasound testing if suitable.






What are the Benefits of Having an EKG?


A quick and pain-free heart test could let you know if you have heart problems. Called an electrocardiogram, this test can catch early signs of heart disease, pinpoint heart abnormalities, and help doctors determine how to treat any problems detected. In this blog, we describe what the test involves and what ECG machine can detect.






What is an EKG?


An electrocardiogram, also referred to as an EKG or ECG, is a test that doctors can perform to detect any abnormal heart rhythms as well as how fast or slow your heart beats. An EKG is one of the simplest and quickest ways to get an accurate reading of your heartbeat. It does so by reading the electrical impulses your heart sends out with every pulse.






To perform an EKG, your doctor places electrodes in specific places on your skin, including near your heart and sometimes on your arms and legs. The electrodes are connected by wires to an EKG machine, and the electrodes transmit the electrical impulses generated by your heart.






No electricity is sent into your body during an EKG. The procedure is painless and noninvasive, and risks are minimal and rare.






Benefits of getting an EKG


Doctors can use an EKG to detect heart problems or check on existing problems. Among the many benefits, an EKG can help do the following:






-Uncover the cause of chest pain


-Uncover the cause of chest fluttering


-Evaluate shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other heart-related symptoms


-Check for abnormally fast or slow heart rates


-Check for irregular heart beats, such as skipped beats


-Determine the overall health of your heart


-Check on your heart health before and after surgery


-Find out if a heart medication is working


-See how a pacemaker is working






You may also want to get an EKG because of your family’s medical history. If you have a family history of cardiovascular disease, an EKG can catch complications early, often before symptoms arise. Furthermore, some medications put a patient at risk for certain heart complications and irregularities and an EKG can help detect those complications.






An EKG can also just give you peace of mind. If you’ve been experiencing unusual chest pain or other symptoms that may be related to your heart, an EKG can rule out serious health conditions and allow you to reduce unnecessary stress about health problems.






What is Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring?


Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) is when your blood pressure is measured as you move around, living your normal daily life. It is measured for up to 24 hours. A small digital Ambulatory Blood Pressuremonitor is attached to a belt around your waist and connected to a cuff around your upper arm. It is small enough not to affect your normal daily life and you can even sleep with it on.


What are the benefits?


By measuring your blood pressure at regular intervals up to 24 hours, your doctor is able to get a clear idea of how your blood pressure changes throughout the day. Also, because you are able to carry on with your normal routine, it avoids the problems of ‘white coat’ syndrome (where your blood pressure rises because you are feeling anxious about being tested by your doctor or nurse).






Why do I need this investigation?


There are a number of reasons why we might need this:


-To establish a diagnosis of high blood pressure (hypertension)


-To identify patients who have higher blood pressure readings when in the clinic(known as ‘white coat effect’)


-To help decide if blood pressure medication is required


-To help to decide whether any change to your medication is required


-To further investigate people whose blood pressure is hard to control


-To see how well a patient’s blood pressure medicines are controlling blood pressure throughout the day


-To see what happens to a patient’s blood pressure at night






How is it performed?


This type of blood pressure measurement is similar to your usual blood pressure measurement: an electronic monitor takes your blood pressure by inflating a cuff around your upper arm and then slowly releasing the pressure. Normally, the monitor is fitted at your local hospital outpatients department, or GP surgery. The monitor will be started by the nurse/health professional. It will be placed inside a protective cover and it is important that it remains in this for the duration of the monitoring. The machine then takes blood pressure readings at regular intervals throughout the day. Normally this is around every 15-30 minutes during the daytime and 30-60 minutes at night but may vary between different clinics.If asked, you will need to keep the monitor on throughout the night; many people put the machine under the pillow or on the bed while they sleep. At the end of the monitoring period you can remove the machine and cuff and give it back to the hospital or surgery. The machine will have stored all your readings and these will then be analysed.






WHAT IS CHANNEL ECG MACHINE? AND WHAT IS ECG MACHINE USED FOR?


An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a medical examination that detects cardiac (cardiac) abnormalities by measuring the electrical activity caused by the heart when it contracts. The device that records the patient's ECG is called an electrocardiogram.






The electrocardiogram records the electrical activity of the heart muscle and displays this data as a trace on screen or on paper. These data are then interpreted by a practicing physician.






The healthy heart ECG has a distinctive shape. Any change in heart rate or damage to the heart muscle can alter the electrical activity of the heart so that the shape of the electrocardiogram changes.


Your doctor may recommend an ECG for people who may be at risk for heart disease because of a family history of heart disease or because they smoke, are overweight, have diabetes, have high cholesterol or high blood pressure.






HOW ECG WORKS?


All ECGs capture cardiac signals through electrodes connected externally to specific body locations. Heart signals are generated by the body and have amplitudes of a few millivolts. Specific electrode locations allow the electrical activity of the heart to be viewed from different angles, each of which is displayed as a channel in the ECG printout. Each channel represents the differential voltage between two of the electrodes or the differential voltage between one electrode and the average voltage of several electrodes.






Different electrode combinations allow more channels to be displayed than electrodes. Channels are commonly referred to as "leads," so there are 12 separate channels graphically displayed on a 12 Channel ECG Machine. The number of leads, depending on the form, ranges from 1 to 12. The wires that run to the electrodes are also occasionally called leads.






What are the Benefits of a Portable ECG Machine?


Personal, portable electrocardiogram (ECG) devices can help you monitor the activity of your heart regardless of your location, at home or out and about. Portable ECGs can be connected to mobile applications which enable the analysis of heart activity data in a matter of seconds.






Some of the benefits of using a portable ECG machine include:






Measure Heartbeat Anomalies During Daily Activities


When using a portable ECG machine, it is important to have the device perform heartbeat measurements while you are engaging in everyday activities, except while bathing or taking a shower. You can also connect the electrodes to the monitor wirelessly through certain wireless devices, minimizing distraction.






Stay at Home and Monitor ECG


Most people prefer to stay out of the hospital if possible if they can obtain care at home. Therefore, using a portable ECG machine and being helped by a family member is often preferred. ECG measurements are easier than ever today with technologies such as wireless ECG, miniature ECG monitors, and Internet data transfer between the device at home or anywhere and the hospital.






You will also be able to save money staying out of the hospital while using an ECG machine that is affordable for what it is able to do. Once you learn how to use the device and the basics of interpreting an ECG, you can understand better the output from the device related to the activity of your heart.






Use Instead of a Holter Monitor


You can use a home ECG instead of a Holter monitor which records rhythms of the heart. A Holter monitor is worn over a period of 24 to 48 hours while the person engages in normal everyday activities. Although a Holter monitor can detect episodes with the heart that happen daily, it is not ideal for monitoring irregular cardiac occurrences.

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