The Many Roles That Ultrasound Can Play in Your Reproductive Health

You used to see ultrasound images of unborn children proudly tacked up on fridges, but now they make the rounds digitally. These first glimpses of the newest member of the family are only one of the many reasons why women’s health practices like ourselves rely so much on ultrasound.

The team here at Bay Area Physicians for Women’s Health routinely turns to ultrasound imaging for reproductive health matters that range from pregnancy to gynecologic disease.

Let’s take a look at this true workhorse in women’s healthcare.

Ultrasound, in brief

Ultrasound imaging, which uses sound waves to create an image, was first used in diagnostic medicine in 1956, so it's been around the medical world for some time now.

In reality, ultrasound  has been around for a lot longer than that and is found in nature — more specifically in bats, which use sound to “see” in the dark.

With our use of ultrasound, we employ a device (transducer wand)  to send harmless sound waves into your body and, when they bounce back, they return with a wealth of information that allows us to create an image.

Diagnostically, X-rays also allow us to “see” inside your body, but that technology uses radiation and it’s better suited for hard, static tissues, such as bones, as well as pockets of space. Ultrasound, on the other hand, is effective for imaging soft tissues, and we can also see motion with soundwave technology.

How we use ultrasound

At our practice, we rely on our ultrasound technology for a number of different uses, which is why we’ve equipped ourselves with state-of-the-art 3D and 4D ultrasound. These next generation ultrasounds allow us to get a three dimensional image, as well as moving images, taking those still life images of an unborn child that were once tacked on the fridge to a new level.

Clearly, we use ultrasound technology during pregnancy, typically during the first trimester and then again at the 20-week mark for an anatomy scan. Of course, our ultrasound is available throughout pregnancy, and we can take as many images as we deem prudent.

Outside of obstetric use, we turn to ultrasound for many other purposes, including diagnosing:

• Endometriosis
• Uterine fibroids
• Ovarian cysts
• Breast lumps
• Thyroid issues
• Gynecologic conditions in any of your pelvic organs
• Evaluating fertility

As you can see, ultrasound helps us with many different aspects of our practice, and we’re pleased to offer this excellent imaging technology in-house, saving you from making a separate trip to an imaging clinic.

If you have any questions about our ultrasound technology and the potential role it can play in your reproductive health, please contact our office in Mobile, Alabama, to set up an appointment.