Often, the fairer sex has to visit the ultrasound diagnostic room. Such a study allows you to timely detect existing pathologies and begin the correct treatment. If you are wondering about the time of the pelvic ultrasound, when to do it (on which day), the article will tell you.
See a doctor
Ultrasound of the small pelvis when necessary? The manipulation is usually prescribed by a gynecologist. The following situations may be prerequisites for the study:
- menstrual irregularities or prolonged bleeding;
- pain in the lower abdomen;
- discharge with an unpleasant odor;
- neoplasms in the pelvic cavity;
- pregnancy or suspicion of it;
- poor smear test result;
- an increase in organs (ovaries and uterus), detected by palpation;
- pelvic inflammatory processes and so on.
When it is better to do pelvic ultrasound (before menstruation or after), the gynecologist will tell. Much depends on the situation itself (symptoms, condition of the patient, her age and so on). Consider several options for diagnostic manipulation.
General examination
If pelvic ultrasound is recommended for you, when should I do the research? With standard manipulation, it is recommended to assign a procedure to the first half of the cycle. Gynecologists are advised to go to a specialist immediately after the completion of bleeding. Previously, an ultrasound scan simply does not make sense. During menstruation, the uterus is filled with blood. Diagnostics will not be able to provide reliable information.
A study before menstruation is also not recommended. The fact is that in the second phase of the cycle progesterone is actively released. This hormone contributes to the thickening of the endometrium. If you visit the ultrasound room at this time, then the specialist may simply not see minor defects in the mucous membrane of the genital organ. These can be polyps or fibroids.
The first half of the cycle is the best time for pelvic ultrasound. When to do the procedure? With a normal cycle, this is the 5-7th day. If the menstruation is short, and the cycle is short, then it will be 3-5 days. With a long female period, you can diagnose from the 5th to the 10th day.
Folliculometry
If you are planning a pregnancy, then you will see a pelvic ultrasound. When to do better to track ovulation? In this situation, doctors usually recommend a mid-cycle study. Moreover, much depends on the individual characteristics of the woman. If the standard duration of the second phase is 10-14 days, then by simple calculations you can set the approximate day of ovulation. Diagnostics begin to be done a few days before.
Folliculometry begins after menstruation, and ends before another bleeding. The final stage of the procedure involves the detection of the corpus luteum and confirmation of ovulation. This can be done already in the second half of the cycle.
Pregnancy definition
If you have a suspicion of pregnancy, then to obtain reliable data you need to conduct an pelvic ultrasound scan. When to do it in this case? Such a diagnosis involves the detection of a fetal egg in the uterine cavity. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus can see a set of cells only two weeks after the expected day of menstruation. Some devices have a more modern approach. They detect pregnancy within a few days after the delay.
Establishment of the fact of pregnancy always occurs in the second phase of the cycle. Diagnosis is prescribed in the absence of menstruation for more than five days.
After abortion or childbirth
When is it best to do pelvic ultrasound - after the menstrual cycle or before? If we are talking about a complete abortion, then you need to diagnose approximately 5-7 days after curettage. These days, women experience bleeding, which doctors do not attribute to menstruation. The restoration of the cycle will occur gradually over several months. Ultrasound diagnostics after an abortion involves examining the uterine cavity for residues of the ovum. If any are found, then the woman needs additional medical manipulations.
After giving birth, all women should undergo an ultrasound examination. It is usually carried out in the maternity hospital on the 5th day after delivery. In this case, the menstrual cycle will recover quite soon (subject to breastfeeding). It turns out that after childbirth, an ultrasound scan must be performed before menstruation (during the allocation of lochia).
In the menopause
Women after 40 years are prescribed regular pelvic ultrasound. When to do better than him? At this age, most women have menopause, which is replaced by a constant menopause. During these periods, patients have irregular breakthrough bleeding. Women themselves call them another menstruation. It is worth noting that the period from one to another bleeding can be several months. Therefore, in such a case, an ultrasound scan is performed before the onset of menstruation (without waiting for it).
Summarize
You learned what time it is better to do an ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs. In many ways, the selected days of the cycle depend on the reasons for the diagnosis. If the study involves examining the cavity of the genital organ, it is recommended to choose the first days of the cycle (after menstruation). When the goal of diagnosis is the ovaries, preference is given to the middle of the menstrual cycle.
If in doubt about when you need to do an ultrasound of the pelvis, consult your gynecologist. Get ready to tell the doctor about the nature of your menstrual cycle (its duration, intensity of bleeding and regularity). After that, the specialist will set the dates appropriate for your case. All the best to you, don’t be ill!