Some of the health screenings provided by Life Line Screening use state-of-the-art ultrasound technology.

In medicine, ultrasound (also called sonography) uses sound waves to create pictures of features inside your body. A machine emits high-frequency sound waves toward the part of the body being screened. When those waves bounce back, that “echo” creates a picture that’s recorded. No x-rays are involved in ultrasound, therefore there is no radiation.

Ultrasound scanners consist of an electronics console, a display screen, and a hand-held instrument called a transducer —a device that emits the sound waves and catches the echo, which is turned into the ultrasound image. These echoes can tell healthcare workers a lot about the body part being examined, including size, shape and its appearance. Doppler ultrasound is a special technique that allows technicians to measure the flow of blood through the body’s vessels.

Ultrasound waves do not pass through air or other gasses. That’s why, when you are having a body part scanned, a technician spreads a small amount of gel on your skin and sweeps the transducer over your skin and directly against the gel. The gel seals out any air that would interfere with the ultrasound image.

Beyond the screenings provided by Life Line Screening, there’s a wide range of medical uses for ultrasound. For instance, it is used to check on the development of fetuses, to detect heart damage and to identify retinal problems in the eye. It can help doctors examine the liver, kidneys, bladder, pancreas and other organs. It is used to warm joints and relieve arthritic pain, and to break up kidney stones without surgery. Doctors use it to guide a needle for taking sample cells for laboratory tests.

While some diagnostic methods involve such hazards as radiation, risk of bleeding, risk of infection, and exposure to chemicals, ultrasound is painless and non-invasive.

Sources: Radiological Society of North America www.LifeLineScreening.com

What Screenings Are Done With Ultrasound?

The following screenings at Life Line Screening employ state-of-the-art ultrasound technology. Such screenings are quick, painless and non-invasive:

Stroke/Carotid Artery Screening: To detect blockage in the carotid arteries, which could lead to stroke.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening: To detect abnormal ballooning of the abdominal aorta.

Osteoporosis Screening: To analyze the mineral density of your bones.

Peripheral Arterial Disease Screening: To check for narrowing of the arteries. 

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