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Effects of Ultrasounds Essay

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Ultrasounds are an important feature of technology used in our world today. The medical world uses ultrasounds and x-rays on an everyday bases. Ultrasounds are high-frequency sound waves and ultrasounds also produce sound waves that are beamed into the body causing return echoes that are recorded to visualize structures beneath the skin. Ultrasounds have thousands of different types and help doctors and patients see specific diseases and conditions that they cannot see otherwise. However, even though ultrasounds benefit people, many wonder if ultrasounds may have bad effects too. Many wonder how do ultrasounds truly work. Ultrasounds are actually more complex than what they seem to be. First, the ultrasound machine transmits …show more content…

Countless numbers of people have contributed to the growth of ultrasound technology over the years; however two men took a very large part at the beginning of this growth. Doctor Karl Theodore Dussik of Austria was a man who helped the growth of ultrasound. He published the first paper on medical ultrasonics in 1942, and he based the research on transmission ultrasound investigation of the brain Professor Ian Donald of Scotland was another person who tried to help the growth of ultrasounds. Donald helped developed practical technology and applications for ultrasound in the 1950s ("The history of," 2011). Ultrasounds are an easy procedure. The patient can easily just sit back and relax while the doctor takes the lead. Preparation for ultrasound is minimal. Generally, if internal organs such as the gallbladder are to be examined, patients are requested to avoid eating and drinking with the exception of water for six to eight hours prior to the examination (Shiel, 2011).This is because food causes gallbladder contraction, minimizing the size, which would be visible during the ultrasound. In preparation for examination of the baby and womb during pregnancy, it is recommended that mothers drink at least four to six glasses of water approximately one to two hours prior to the examination for the purpose of filling the bladder. The extra fluid in the bladder moves air-filled bowel loops away from the womb so that the baby and womb are more visible during the

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