Three Common Conditions That Might Require A Vascular Ultrasound

Vascular ultrasounds are very useful for medical professionals in their pursuit to diagnose the exact problem in your veins and formulate a treatment plan. They can also help keep the doctors updated on whether treatment plans are working or not. But when do you need a vascular ultrasound as opposed to an X-ray or a CT scan? Ultrasounds are much better at identifying problems with soft tissues such as muscles, organs and veins. With that in mind, here are three common ailments that might require you to have a vascular ultrasound to help properly identify the root cause.

Diabetes

If you struggle with diabetes, especially if you have had it for a long time, then it is common for your veins to get quite badly affected in your extremities. An ultrasound is often used for those who suffer from diabetes in assisting doctors when they come to evaluate the viability of these limbs, particularly your legs. If the veins show no signs of getting better or are getting worse, then you may need a more reactive treatment plan or you could be at risk of losing your legs altogether. 

Blood Clots

Blood clots are quite painful to deal with, especially if they are located deep in the leg (deep vein thrombosis, or DVT). Vascular ultrasounds are used to identify the severity of DVT as well as to track clots that have detached and are moving on their own. Most of the time blood clots eventually go away on their own, but a doctor will still likely want to monitor them to ensure that this problem does not grow. If the clot moves to a more dangerous place or gets any worse, you may require intervention. 

Smoking 

Smoking is bad for a number of your internal organs but one area where many people don't realise it is exceptionally corrosive is veins. If you are a regular smoker and you get asked to take a vascular ultrasound, your doctors are likely looking to check if your veins and arteries have started to harden or contract. This can be a common problem as a result of tobacco, and if left unchecked it can lead to aneurysms and breaks in your veins that cause severe internal damage, if not death. A vascular ultrasound helps doctors identify these weak points and either perform surgery or advise you on a path forward.

Contact a doctor for more information about vascular ultrasounds.

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