• Prepare for an Ultrasound
• AAA
• Stroke Risk
• Venous Insufficiency
• Peripheral Artery Disease
• Gall Stones
• Kidney Stones
• Cardiac Risk Assessment

More About What We Screen For

The Carotid and the Eye

12/12/2016

The carotid arteries are located in the neck and are the main arteries supplying blood to the brain. When blood flow through the carotid is reduced or blocked, the brain does not receive enough oxygen. As a result brain function and vision can be greatly affected 

High Desert Doppler can help detect dysfunction in the carotid arteries with an ultrasound. Ultrasound allows analysis of blood flow through the arteries in patients who are at risk of carotid artery disease and stroke. 

A narrowing, hardening, or irregularity of the carotid artery, known as atherosclerosis, can cause a blood clot or accumulation of debris to form in the artery. This places the patient at a higher risk of stroke. While stroke has many symptoms, some of these include temporary, total, or partial vision loss in one eye. You may experience a dark curtain coming down that blocks the vision, one eye getting blurred for a sustained amount of time, intermittent blurring of one eye, double vision, and/or tunnel vision. These are warning signs that a stroke may occur. If these symptoms exist, It is extremely important to see your healthcare provider immediately, as there may be an opportunity to prevent a stroke from occurring. 

Call to schedule an examination – most insurance accepted. 505-350-3397 

High Desert Doppler encourages a healthy lifestyle, including a good diet, normal body weight, exercise, and low cholesterol level, which greatly reduces your chances of blocked arteries and stroke. 

3825 Eubank Blvd NE Suite H Albuquerque, NM 87111

HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN ULTRASOUND

It is important to know how to prepare for your ultrasound. The following are a few guidelines you can follow for specific ultrasound procedures. For best results, follow your doctor’s specific instructions.

For additional information, call our office Monday – Friday, 8.am. to 5 p.m. at 505-350-3397.

Abdominal Ultrasound

Eat a light dinner the evening before your examination – (light protein, no fried, fatty, or greasy foods, no dairy products)
Do not eat or drink for 12 hours prior to your appointment.
If you must take medication, drink a small amount of water with your medication.

Pelvic Ultrasound

Drink 32 ounces of fluids one hour prior to your appointment time (within 15 minutes).
Your bladder must be full for the examination. DO NOT empty your bladder PRIOR to the exam.
You may eat as usual. There are no dietary restrictions.
Take all medications as usual. There are no restrictions.

Renal / Kidney / Retro Peritoneal Ultrasound

Drink eight (8) ounces of fluids one hour prior to your appointment time (within 15 minutes).
DO NOT empty your bladder PRIOR to the exam. Your bladder must be full for the examination.
You may eat as usual. There are no dietary restrictions.
Take all medications as usual. There are no restrictions.

Echocardiogram

No special preparations are necessary for a standard transthoracic echocardiogram.
You can eat, drink and take medications as you normally would.
Your doctor will ask you not to eat for a few hours beforehand if you’re having a transesophageal or stress echocardiogram.

Musculoskeletal

Musculoskeletal ultrasound is used to evaluate sports injuries and musculoskeletal conditions in the muscles, bones, joints, and related tissue.
Musculoskeletal ultrasound can also be used for interventional procedures, such as injections and aspirations.
Musculoskeletal ultrasounds require no advanced preparation.

AAA

You’ll need to fast for eight to 12 hours before your abdominal ultrasound.
Food and liquids in your stomach and urine in your bladder can make it difficult for the ultrasound technician to get a clear picture of your aorta.

Carotid

Your doctor may order a carotid ultrasound if a blockage is suspected based on listening to your neck or based on your cardiovascular risk profile.
This test should also be performed if you have had a stroke or a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA).
No special preparation is required; you may be asked to put on a gown so that the transparent acoustic gel does not get on your clothing.

Arterial Doppler

No special preparation is required for lower extremity venous or arterial ultrasounds.
This test is done to assess the extremities
Your doctor may order an arterial doppler if a blockage in your circulation is suspected, you are having claudication (cramping in your legs when walking), you have diabetes with resultant circulatory problems, you have ulceration on your leg, or you have pain in your leg at night at rest.

Venous Doppler

Your doctor may order a venous Doppler if a blot clot is suspected
This test should be performed if you have unexplained swelling in one or both legs, and in rare cases, chest pain or coughing up blood
No special preparation is needed

What you can expect

A typical ultrasound examination is usually painless and takes from 30 minutes to an hour unless instructed otherwise. You may feel some temporary discomfort in the instance of a full bladder.

You may be asked to remove jewelry; you may be asked to remove some clothing and wear a gown. You will either sit or lie down on an examination table. A gel is applied to your skin to keep air pockets from blocking the sound waves from forming – these are the images you may see on the monitor. Our sonographer moves a transducer (a small, hand-held device) over the area to be examined.

When your exam is complete, our reading physician analyzes the images and sends a report to your doctor. Your doctor will share the results with you.

If your examination was during one of our complimentary screenings, we will send the results to you or your doctor. If you do not have a physician, High Desert Doppler may be able to recommend a physician for follow up, if needed.

75 TO 80% OF ALL STROKES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH BLOCKAGES IN THE CAROTID ARTERIES – AND ARE PREVENTABLE!

Call 911 immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, leg, or arm on one side of the body.

Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech

Sudden dimness or loss of vision in one or both eyes

Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Sudden dizziness, loss of balance, or unsteadiness

DON’T WAIT

The longer a stroke victim waits before showing up at the ER, the more damage a stroke can do and the less recovery can be achieved.

The National Stroke Association “Stroke Prevention Guidelines” advise patients to:

• Know your blood pressure, have it checked at least once a year
• Find out if you have atrial fibrillation, which encourages the formation of blood clots that could cause a stroke
• If you smoke, stop
• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation
• Find out if you have high cholesterol
• If you have diabetes, take measures to control the condition
• Include exercise in your daily routine
• Eat a low-salt diet
• Ask your physician if you have circulation problems that could increase the risk of stroke
• If you experience any stroke symptoms, including sudden weakness of the face or a limb, a blurring of vision, dizziness, or an intense headache, seek immediate medical attention.

What is it?

According to the Mayo Clinic, it is a circulatory condition in which narrowed blood vessels reduce blood flow to the limbs. More than 3 million cases are reported in the US every year. If you have painful muscle cramping in your hips or legs when walking or exercising, but feel better when you stop, you may be experiencing a blood flow blockage.

Your physician will want to know your medical history. Do you smoke? Do you have diabetes? Does anyone in your family have a history of heart disease or vascular disease? Do you have a history of poor wound healing? Changes in your hair, skin, and/or nails may also be signs of PAD.

Who treats PAD?

A vascular physician specializing in treating blood vessel conditions and diseases should be seen. Oftentimes, a cardiologist may be involved in treating people who have PAD, because people who have PAD are at a higher risk for heart attack, stroke, and transient ischemic attack (TIA), a mini-stroke.

What to expect?

Your physician may check the blood flow in your legs, ankles, and feet for weak or absent pulses and check the pulses in your leg for an abnormal swooshing sound. These can be done using a stethoscope. To get a better diagnosis, your healthcare provider may order an ultrasound because a Doppler ultrasound looks at blood flow in the major arteries and veins in the limbs. During this test, a handheld device (transducer) is placed on your body and passed back and forth over the affected area. A computer converts sound waves into a picture of blood flow in the arteries and veins.

The results of an ultrasound examination can show whether a blood vessel is blocked. The results also can help show the severity of PAD.

The carotid arteries are located in the neck and are the main arteries supplying blood to the brain. When blood flowing through the carotid is reduced or blocked, the brain does not receive enough oxygen. As a result brain function and vision can be greatly affected.

Carotid ArteryHigh Desert Doppler can help detect dysfunction in the carotid arteries with an ultrasound. Ultrasound allows analysis of blood flow through the arteries in patients who are at risk of carotid artery disease and stroke.

A narrowing, hardening, or irregularity of the carotid artery, known as atherosclerosis, can cause a blood clot or accumulation of debris to form in the artery. This places the patient at a higher risk of stroke. While stroke has many symptoms, some of these include temporary, total, or partial vision loss in one eye. You may experience a dark curtain coming down that blocks the vision, one eye getting blurred for a sustained amount of time, intermittent blurring of one eye, double vision, and/or tunnel vision. These are warning signs that a stroke may occur. If these symptoms exist, It is extremely important to see your healthcare provider immediately, as there may be an opportunity to prevent a stroke from occurring.

Call to schedule an examination – most insurance accepted. 505-350-3397

High Desert Doppler encourages a healthy lifestyle, including a good diet, normal body weight, exercise and low cholesterol level, which greatly reduces your chances of blocked arteries and stroke.

Venous insufficiency is a condition where the flow of blood through the veins is inadequate, causing blood to pool in the legs. It is caused by the failure of the valves in your veins. This is most often a hereditary condition. Venous insufficiency is responsible for varicose veins, spider veins, restless leg syndrome, cramping, swelling, discoloration, skin disorders such as rash, dry, itchy, or flaky skin, and ultimately ulceration.

Most of us are familiar with varicose veins. It’s a very common condition, especially in women. In fact, half of all Americans over the age of 50 have varicose veins. But what causes them? Varicose veins are a circulatory health problem, resulting when the valves don’t close properly, allowing blood to travel downward and pool in the legs. Prolonged standing, obesity, hormone levels, multiple pregnancies, menopause, physical trauma, family history, and smoking are some potential causes for varicose veins. You may have pain and swelling, a feeling of heaviness, discoloration, or ulcers on your legs.

What is needed? An ultrasound is necessary to determine if incompetent valves are causing the problem. It allows your doctor to see how the blood is flowing in your veins. If left untreated, varicose veins progressively get worse ultimately leading to ulceration, bleeding, infection, and the threat of limb loss.

Ultrasound is a painless, non-invasive procedure performed by a professional sonographer. They use their expertise, professional judgment, and patient care skills to explain the examination and respond to patient questions and concerns. Working in partnership with other healthcare professionals, diagnostic sonographers are a part of your medical team. Once the examination is complete, images are reviewed by an interpreting physician who evaluates the results of the diagnostic examination and provides the final report of the findings, to be included in the patient’s medical records.