There are many diseases that occur in the abdominal cavity without showing symptoms until they become severe. By the time patients suspect and realize that something is wrong, it may already be critical.
Therefore, health screening through “ultrasound” is considered one of the key tools… that helps uncover the secret of whether “inside your abdomen” there is anything abnormal, for early prevention and treatment before it is too late.
What is Ultrasound?
Ultrasound (Ultrasound or Ultrasound scanning) is a diagnostic method using high-frequency sound waves to create images to examine various internal organs for abnormalities, their locations, sizes, and so on.
Ultrasound is mainly divided into 2 parts:
1. Upper Abdominal Ultrasound (Ultrasound Upper Abdomen or Upper Abdomen Ultrasonography)
This examines the upper abdominal organs above the navel level, including the liver, pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, common bile duct, kidneys, and aorta to check for abnormalities such as abnormal masses, kidney stones, gallstones, etc.
Preparation before the examination
- Avoid fatty foods and refrain from drinking water for at least 6 hours.
2. Lower Abdominal Ultrasound (Ultrasound Lower Abdomen or Lower Abdomen Ultrasonography)
This examines the lower abdominal organs below the navel level, including the uterus, ovaries (female), prostate gland (male), bladder, appendix, and other lower abdominal areas for abnormalities such as ovarian cysts, uterine masses, enlarged prostate, etc.
Preparation before the examination
- Drink at least 500 ml of water and hold your urine.
This method requires the patient to drink water and hold their urine beforehand because gas in the intestines can obscure the uterus and ovaries in women or the prostate in men, making the organs unclear. When the bladder is sufficiently full, it pushes the intestines upward, allowing clearer visualization of the organs.
Who should have an abdominal ultrasound?
- Both men and women aged 30 and above
- Those with chronic abdominal pain
- Women with regular menstrual pain, or abnormal menstrual flow (too much or too little)
Steps of the “Ultrasound Examination”
The ultrasound examination begins with the patient lying on a bed. The doctor applies gel on the skin area to be examined to help transmit sound waves from the probe to the skin, producing images of the organs. The doctor gently presses and moves the probe over the area to be examined. Both the doctor and patient can view the organ images on the monitor simultaneously.
The examination takes about 10-45 minutes, depending on the organ location and any abnormalities found. After the examination, the doctor will immediately explain the ultrasound images to the patient, indicating any abnormal organs or lesions and which organs appear normal.
To know whether the organs in our abdomen are still healthy or if there is any problem, we must regularly pay attention to and prioritize health check-ups. Importantly, do not neglect “abdominal ultrasound” which allows us to see… what cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Dr. Yuttasit Thanapongpipat
Family Medicine Specialist
Health Promotion Center, Phyathai Nawamin Hospital
