Things to Keep in Mind While Getting a Pregnancy Ultrasound

Pregnancy is a time when a woman needs the utmost care and nutrition to have a healthy delivery of her baby. While managing the nine-month-long process of pregnancy, the health of both mother and child must be carefully monitored for smooth delivery. For this purpose, it is important to go for regular check-ups to a gynaecologist along with getting ultrasounds from a reputed pathology lab. Moreover, there are various options to choose from while searching the web for “ultrasound test near me”. Alongside with this, here are 4 things to keep in mind for a successful prenatal ultrasound test:

1. Choosing the Right Pathology Lab

Getting an ultrasound done from a reputed pathology lab is one of the most important steps as it is an important test that requires expertise. Thus, while searching for the right pathology on the internet, reading up customer reviews and testimonials can be of great help. This will also provide a sense of credibility to the chosen pathology lab where pregnant women can have ultrasound tests without any hassles. Also, if possible, try and get the ultrasound test done from a nearby pathology lab to avoid travelling much. 

2. Getting It Done Early

For pregnant women, it is vital to get an ultrasound test during the first trimester as it helps the doctor determine the gestational age of the baby. This helps further helps in providing an estimated date of the delivery. Besides this, the doctor can also analyse the general functioning of the uterus, look for any abnormalities in the foetus, ensuring that placenta isn’t wrapped around the foetus, etc.

3. Preparing for an Ultrasound

While there aren’t major steps to take before getting a pregnancy ultrasound, however, ensuring that full bladder is maintained right before the test is conducted is essential. This is because a full bladder helps to get better image clarity of the foetus. Thus, drinking three to four glasses of water is suggested before a pregnancy ultrasound.

In conclusion, a pregnancy ultrasound is a key step in monitoring the health of foetus throughout the pregnancy. Therefore, ensuring that is conducted from a pathology lab with top-notch equipment and facilities makes life easier for pregnant women.

A Brief Overview of the Echocardiogram Test

An echocardiogram (echo) is used to enable the doctors to see a graphic outline of the functioning of the heart, as well as monitor how the valves of the heart are functioning. In an echo test, sound waves are produced in order to produce live images of the heart. 

An echocardiogram can help the doctors to spot: 

· Blood clots present in the heart

· Fluid in the sac around the heart

· Problems with the aorta, which is one of the key arteries connected to the heart

An echocardiogram is often prescribed by doctors to determine the health of the heart muscle, especially after the patient has suffered from a heart attack. This test can also reveal any heart related problems in unborn babies.

How to prepare for an echocardiogram

Preparation for diverse types of echocardiogram would require distinguished types of preparation. While a transthoracic echocardiogram involves no special preparation, when going for a transesophageal echocardiogram, the doctors may instruct the patients not to eat anything for a few hours prior to undergoing the test. This precaution is taken to prevent the patients from vomiting during the echocardiogram process. Due to the sedatives used in this test, people may not be able to drive for a few hours after going through an echocardiogram.

The patients who have been prescribed a stress echocardiogram must wear comfortable and soft clothes and shoes for the test. 

Going through an echocardiogram is painless, and there are no such risks involved in it, unless it is a very rare case. If you are asking yourself if there is any facility for echo test near me, then you should definitely visit the website of any renowned service provider of diagnostic and related healthcare tests.

After an echocardiogram

Subsequent to reviewing the results of the test, the doctors may be able to identify the following abnormalities:

· Heart defects

· Heart size

· Pumping strength

· Valve problems

· Damage to the heart muscle

If the doctor is concerned about the echocardiogram test results, he/she may refer the patient to a cardiologist or order more tests or physical exams. In case an individual is diagnosed with a heart condition, then the doctor would subsequently develop the necessary treatment plan for them.