Most people associate ultrasounds with prenatal care and catching those precious first images of the baby in-utero. But this versatile imaging tool can also reveal valuable insights about your health when you’re not pregnant.
At Evergreen Women’s Health, we specialize in providing comprehensive, patient-focused gynecological care for women in Vancouver, Washington. Our team, led by Cynthia McNally, MD, often uses pelvic and transvaginal ultrasounds to get a clearer picture of what’s happening beneath the surface.
Ultrasounds deliver sound waves into your body, which bounce off of your internal organs and create images on a screen. They’re noninvasive, painless, and useful in many medical scenarios, not just for pregnancy. Here, we explore four reasons for a gynecological ultrasound.
Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths that can develop in or on the uterus. While some women with fibroids experience no symptoms, others may have heavy periods, pelvic pain, pain during sex, or urinary frequency.
An ultrasound allows us to visualize the size, location, and number of fibroids, so we can determine the best approach for managing them. Depending on the severity of your condition and your future family plans, Dr. McNally may suggest medication, surgery, or simply monitoring their growth.
Have you experienced persistent pelvic pain or changes in your menstrual cycle? These could be signs of ovarian cysts, fluid-filled sacs that form on the ovaries.
Most ovarian cysts are harmless and go away on their own — less than one in 100 are cancerous. Ultrasounds help us see what type of cyst it is and whether it seems to be getting larger, changing, or diminishing over time.
If you’re experiencing severe abdominal pain, discomfort during sex, or painful periods, endometriosis could be behind your symptoms. This condition occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining (endometrium) grows outside of the uterus.
While ultrasounds can’t detect every instance of endometriosis, they’re helpful for identifying larger masses of endometriosis called “endometriomas”. These are most common on the ovaries. The detailed images that ultrasounds provide can narrow down the possibilities and help us decide if further diagnostic steps, like laparoscopy, are necessary.
Dreaming of seeing that little flicker on an ultrasound screen, but the path to pregnancy is proving difficult? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 20% of women struggle with infertility issues.
An ultrasound offers a noninvasive way to take a closer look at your reproductive organs. We can look at things like the shape of your uterus and the thickness of your uterine lining, checking for any structural reasons that may be making conception or implantation tricky.
If you have questions or concerns about your reproductive wellness, we’re here to help. Call or click online to schedule an appointment at Evergreen Women’s Health to connect with our team for compassionate, personalized care.
