Effects of Ultrasound: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 02:01, 19 March 2017

The term "ultrasound" applies to all sound waves with a frequency above the audible range of normal human hearing, about 20 kHz. The frequencies used in diagnostic ultrasound are typically between 2 and 18 MHz. Waves of this high frequency can cause some damage to the human body, and perhaps even more to the unborn fetal body.

Fetal effects[edit | edit source]

The effects of Ultrasound technology have been proven to have many effects on the fetal bodies. In Australia a study conducted on1400 pregnant women showed that women who had 5 monthly ultrasound tests, as compared to women who only had one throughout the entire pregnancy, gave birth lower weight babies over all. Another conclusion from this study showed that the babies that were exposed to ultrasound were mostly left handed. Other research published by the Canadian Medical Association’s Journal showed that in a study of 72 children with delayed speech disorder, more than 70% of the children were exposed to frequent ultrasounds during pregnancy. A final study from Switzerland showed that mice who were exposed to extreme amounts of ultrasound during pregnancy birth mice that acted abnormally.These mice were also not as explorative as the control group for the experiment. Finally once the mice matured they had difficulty learning patterns, it took them more repetitions of simple tasks to learn that the task was always rewarded.

Adult effects[edit | edit source]

Fetuses are not the only ones effected by the possibly damaging effects of ultrasound. One of the most well known effects of ultrasound is that as Ultrasound waves pass through a tissue they tend to heat it up. The tissue can easily be warmed to 40 degrees Celsius. Although in vivo the heat is usually easily carried away by blood circulation or simply dissipated into surrounding tissues. this regiment can be applied in a technique called Ultrasound therapy where this heat is used to stimulate repair to damaged internal tissues. Another well known effect of Ultrasound are cavitations. Cavitations are small bubbles of gas that are released upon exposure to extreme negative pressure. These bubbles can cause cells or even tissues to rupture. This effect is used in a form of non-invasive liposuction, in which adipocytes are burst using ultrasound waves. Although Ultrasound cannot be heard by humans, at high decibels it can still cause direct damage to human ears. Ultrasound in excess of 120 decibels may cause Hearing damage. Exposure to 155 decibels causes heat levels that are harmful to the body. 180 decibels may even cause death.

Links[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

Ultrasound Effect on Baby Ultrasound Effect on Women

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

http://www.unhinderedliving.com/pultra.html
Birth. com - Ultrasound
Centrus - Doppler

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-Ultrasound is a very safe way of measuring densities of objects without actually opening the body, however there are some minor side effects it may have on the body. As ultrasound, sound that is too high frequency to be heard by humans, is absorbed by tissues, it heats them up. This is caused by the fact that Ultrasound is a mechanical wave, and as such is created vibrations, these vibrations can bring about heat changes in tissues as high as 40 degrees Celsius at a distance of 5 Centimeters. This effect can have both positive and negative consequences. Some of the benefits of this heating are used in a method called “'''Ultrasound Therapy'''” this is the process of heating inner tissues of a patient to stimulate repair. The negative side of things is that Ultrasound machines are usually used to examine unborn babies, and there is no proven research that shows that this heat may not cause damage to the fragile environment which is required for fetal growth. The other major side effect of Ultrasound are '''cavitations''', these are small gas bubbles that can form in cells and tissues when they are exposed to high amounts of negative pressure. These gas bubbles can accumulate to the point of bursting a cell, in truly untrained hands perhaps even some tissues. Once again, there is a positive use for this side effect of Ultrasound. Cavitation's have been used in the field of plastic surgery as a way of bypassing surgical methods in liposuction.
+The term "ultrasound" applies to all sound waves with a frequency above the audible range of normal human hearing, about 20 kHz. The frequencies used in diagnostic ultrasound are typically between 2 and 18 MHz. Waves of this high frequency can cause some damage to the human body, and perhaps even more to the unborn fetal body.
+== Fetal effects ==
+The effects of Ultrasound technology have been proven to have many effects on the fetal bodies. In Australia a study conducted on1400 pregnant women showed that women who had 5 monthly ultrasound tests, as compared to women who only had one throughout the entire pregnancy, gave birth lower weight babies over all. Another conclusion from this study showed that the babies that were exposed to ultrasound were mostly left handed. Other research published by the Canadian Medical Association’s Journal showed that in a study of 72 children with delayed speech disorder, more than 70% of the children were exposed to frequent ultrasounds during pregnancy. A final study from Switzerland showed that mice who were exposed to extreme amounts of ultrasound during pregnancy birth mice that acted abnormally.These mice were also not as explorative as the control group for the experiment. Finally once the mice matured they had difficulty learning patterns, it took them more repetitions of simple tasks to learn that the task was always rewarded.
+== Adult effects ==
+Fetuses are not the only ones effected by the possibly damaging effects of ultrasound. One of the most well known effects of ultrasound is that as Ultrasound waves pass through a tissue they tend to heat it up. The tissue can easily be warmed to 40 degrees Celsius. Although in vivo the heat is usually easily carried away by blood circulation or simply dissipated into surrounding tissues. this regiment can be applied in a technique called Ultrasound therapy where this heat is used to stimulate repair to damaged internal tissues. Another well known effect of Ultrasound are cavitations. Cavitations are small bubbles of gas that are released upon exposure to extreme negative pressure. These bubbles can cause cells or even tissues to rupture. This effect is used in a form of non-invasive liposuction, in which adipocytes are burst using ultrasound waves. Although Ultrasound cannot be heard by humans, at high decibels it can still cause direct damage to human ears. Ultrasound in excess of 120 decibels may cause Hearing damage. Exposure to 155 decibels causes heat levels that are harmful to the body. 180 decibels may even cause death.
+== Links ==
+=== Related articles ===
+[[Ultrasound]]<br />
+[[Ultrasound imaging]]<br />
+[[Doppler Ultrasonography]]
+=== External links ===
+[http://ultrasoundtechnicianexpert.com Ultrasound Effect on Baby]
+[http://ultrasoundtechniciannews.com Ultrasound Effect on Women]
+=== Bibliography ===
+http://www.unhinderedliving.com/pultra.html<br />
+[http://www.birth.com.au/Ultrasounds/Physical-effects-and-research.aspx?p=1%20 Birth. com - Ultrasound]<br />
+[http://www.centrus.com.br/DiplomaFMF/SeriesFMF/doppler/capitulos-html/chapter_02.htm Centrus - Doppler]
+</noinclude>
+[[Category:Radiology]]
+[[Category:Biophysics]]