Why Older People Are More Likely To Get A Certain Type Of Ultrasound
Posted on: 27 May 2021
Ultrasounds are a fantastic tool to use to get a pretty in-depth model of soft tissue in the body. They are primarily thought of when it comes to pregnancy because it is the first time most families will see an image of the baby that is yet to be born. That is quite a striking image, but it is also not the only reason ultrasounds are used. In fact, for many older Australians, ultrasounds are used for a completely different purpose entirely. You will probably need one of these when you get older, and your parents or grandparents might have already had them!
Vascular Ultrasounds
Vascular ultrasounds are the primary way in which problems with your circulatory system are confirmed. Your doctor might think you have a circulatory problem, such as a blockage or a leaking vein, but without actually operating on you, there is no real way to tell because of how deep and soft veins are. They will not show up on an X-ray like bones will, so ultrasounds are used to spot issues with your circulatory system. That is why it is not unusual for older Australians to have an ultrasound done; as they experience vascular issues at a much higher rate than younger people.
Picking Up Difficult To Locate Problems
While it may sound relatively simple, and in one respect it is, a vascular ultrasound represents quite a brilliant way to find out if anything is wrong with your circulatory system. In the past, many blockages, breaks, and malformed veins were simply left untreated and patients could very easily die from them. Even after these problems were known about, it was still hard to actually find the exact vein that was causing the issue, leading to very few options for people suffering from these conditions. Vascular ultrasounds offer a very precise way of locating and diagnosing what could only be guessed at in previous years.
Pre-Op Preparation
Another reason why vascular ultrasounds are more common with older Australians is that they are often scheduled in advance of surgical work. If you need stents or perhaps a graft of some kind then you will be given a vascular ultrasound to make sure your body can handle what can be quite an intense bit of trauma on the body. This is nothing to worry about and does not mean your relatives have an issue with their veins or arteries, it is just a precaution and one that could save their life.
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