They say that the ultrasound department is the key for any hospital, since it is here that the diagnosis of the human body is performed. A competent specialist here can at an early stage discern any ailment, and early detection is the key to successful treatment. But the trouble is, many people are afraid: is ultrasound harmful? Maybe the resulting radiation can cause the growth of cancer cells? How to deal with such a dilemma?
Ultrasound Features
Why do people ask if an ultrasound is harmful? Because this research method is still relatively young and developing. Efficiency is obvious, accessibility pleases, but questions from this do not become smaller. Pregnant women who have to be regularly exposed to ultrasound, especially with a growing baby, are especially worried. But, on the other hand, how to be confident in the healthy and harmonious development of your baby without the use of ultrasound? After all, such a method of examination allows you to see in advance possible pathologies and even eradicate them even inside the womb. So it is impossible to unfairly denigrate ultrasonic waves either in medicine or in other scientific fields. Indeed, today various possibilities of ultrasonic waves are used: for heating objects, creating ultrasonic vibrations, reflection from obstacles, etc.
Relevance of the procedure
The human body is relatively transparent to ultrasonic waves, and therefore, when passing through the tissues, these waves create a reflection, the degree and intensity of which is detected by the ultrasound sensor, and displayed on the monitor screen. As a result, a specialist can observe your internal organs and evaluate their condition. The whole procedure of ultrasound research on average takes no more than twenty minutes. In this case, overheating of the tissues is not allowed.
In modern medicine, by the way, more powerful ultrasonic waves can also be used. For minimally invasive surgical interventions, focused ultrasound of high intensity is used. With its help, uterine fibroids are removed while preserving the organ, a prostate tumor is removed, treatment of atrial fibrillation and shock wave lithotripsy. Also, with the help of ultrasound, surgery of pathologies of the pelvic organs and abdominal cavity is performed. But even when using powerful radiation, it is very difficult to achieve the desired temperature for a radical effect. This requires more than 20 thousand W / cm 2 with a duration of exposure of three hours. A logical question arises, is ultrasound harmful?
DNA effect
Speaking about whether ultrasound is harmful, they often refer to the destructive effect of waves on human DNA. The basis of this opinion lies in some developments carried out at the institutes of the USSR until 1992. At that time, the staff working on the study of ultrasound fell into the category of “under harmful influence” and received additional payments for harmfulness. But there was an opinion, but no evidence was provided for this. So already in 1995, ultrasound was used to diagnose fetal pathologies.
A lot of research was conducted on the topic "Is it harmful to do ultrasound?" In particular, it is worth noting the work of the neuroscientist Pasco Rakic, who exposed ultrasound to pregnant mice. He proved that a systematic effect for up to half an hour generated a number of changes in the work of groups of neurons in the brain of a mouse. Because of this, the cells lost their ability to work, as their parameters and some characteristics changed greatly. True, there were no negative changes in the development and functions of the brain, so it cannot be argued that the changes were dangerous. In the 70s, studies were conducted on the health status of young mothers who underwent ultrasound during pregnancy, and a comparative analysis with the ladies who did without such a study. At the same time, no negative effect on the fetus was found, but a certain characteristic feature was noted - in those women who underwent the study, the born boys were left-handed. This fact confirms a certain effect of ultrasound on the neurogenic regulation of the fetus.
During pregnancy
If an ordinary person is rarely forced to undergo ultrasound research, then a completely different situation with a pregnant woman. After all, she worries not only for herself, but also for the child. Is ultrasound harmful during pregnancy? This question begins to worry the expectant mother from the first trimester. It is impossible to dispute the feasibility of the study, since in its process it is possible to identify a number of pathologies and undesirable changes and obtain comprehensive information about how the child feels. With such data, it is possible to take timely measures to optimize the life of the baby and mother.
If pregnancy proceeds normally, then ultrasound is prescribed only three times. A more frequent examination is indicated only if there is a threat of fetal development. These include the development of an ectopic pregnancy, a frozen pregnancy, spontaneous interruption and detachment of the placenta, multiple pregnancy, malformations of the baby and toxicosis in the later stages. With such indications, the dubious harm from ultrasound can not be compared with the real risk to the mother and child.
Weighty argument
Thinking about whether ultrasound is harmful to the fetus, it is worth taking into account how the child directly behaves during the procedure. For many women, the reaction of the baby in this matter is decisive. For example, doctors during ultrasound often note that the embryo begins to move actively, turn away from the sensor or, conversely, open its arms. But in fact, this behavior does not mean that ultrasound is harmful to the fetus. The reasons often lurk in the stress state of the mother herself. The basis may also be the tone of the uterus caused by the touch of a cold sensor or gel, pressure on the uterus of a full bladder or commonplace excitement.
The right dosage
The question of whether ultrasound during pregnancy is harmful to the fetus cannot be answered unambiguously, but nevertheless, doctors recommend avoiding this type of diagnosis for up to ten weeks. The direction is given by the attending physician from the antenatal clinic that leads the pregnancy. So in a conversation about the possible harm of the research method, it is best to be guided by the phrase "the cure for poison differs only in dosage." Ultrasound nevertheless affects tissues, and the evidence for this is the excitation of nerve fibers, which occurs as a reaction to focused ultrasound. But if ultrasonography is not recommended at an early date, then you can be sure of relative safety when examining at a later date.
Common myth
Why, nevertheless, with the apparent safety of many, the question is tormented by whether it is harmful to do an ultrasound during pregnancy? The biggest concern is that ultrasound can cause cancer. Is it so? Proponents of this theory believe that ultrasound causes oscillations of a special frequency favorable for the development of tumors. But science has not proved the assumption that cancer has a certain rhythm. Even more, ultrasound is the main method for diagnosing cancer, especially in the early stages.
Another myth is that with frequent use, ultrasound destroys tissues. In fact, the alleged negative effect would affect the condition of the skin, which, incidentally, is the first to come into contact with the sensor. And in the entire history of the use of ultrasound, not a single case of skin injury has been noted.
Often do harmful or beneficial?
If during pregnancy such a research method allows you to prevent and cure some pathologies, then maybe you should come to the ultrasound as often as possible? But what about doubts like, is ultrasound harmful in the early stages? In fact, this method does not have a cumulative effect, and the effect lasts exactly as long as the examination is in progress. So, in fact, there are no obvious restrictions on the number of procedures that can be performed, which cannot be said about the X-ray examination, for example. But there is no need to “direct” yourself to an ultrasound. Ideally, everything should go according to the recommendation and prescription of a doctor.