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why do doctors listen to your stomach with a stethoscope

by Esther Klocko Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago

Doctors use a stethoscope on the stomach for many reasons. One of the most common reasons is to check for bowel sounds. This may be done as part of an exam or because they are worried about constipation, diarrhea, pain with bowel movements, or other symptoms.

A health care provider can check abdominal sounds by listening to the abdomen with a stethoscope (auscultation). Most bowel sounds
bowel sounds
A stomach rumble, also known as a bowel sound, peristaltic sound, abdominal sound, bubble gut or borborygmus (pronounced /ˌbɔːrbəˈrɪɡməs/; plural borborygmi), is a rumbling, growling or gurgling noise produced by movement of the contents of the gastro-intestinal tract as they are propelled through the small intestine ...
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Stomach_rumble
are harmless. However, there are some cases in which abnormal sounds can indicate a problem. Ileus is a condition in which there is a lack of intestinal activity.
Oct 10, 2020

Full Answer

Why does the doctor Listen to your bowel movements with a stethoscope?

During abdominal auscultation, the doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to your bowel movements. A stethoscope is used when listening to abdominal sounds because listening to bowel sounds is challenging by merely listening to your abdomen. Generally, bowel sounds are usually a regular occurrence.

Why do doctors put a stethoscope on your back?

Putting the stethoscope on your back lets the doctor hear your lungs and find problems if any exists.Putting it over the stomach (or abdomen) lets the doctor hear your bowel sounds,ie.,sounds produced by the movement of your intestines…other than it it helps the doctor hear abdominal aortic pulsations (it is a large blood vessel) and other ...

How is the stethoscope used to auscultate the heart and stomach?

Below is a brief description of how the stethoscope is used to auscultate your heart and stomach. The stethoscope bell is used when auscultating heart sounds because it is effective in detecting lower-frequency sounds. In most cases, the doctor listens to S1 and S2 sounds, renowned as lub and dub.

Why does my doctor Listen to my lungs with a stethoscope?

Since a stethoscope is used to listen to lung sounds all through a complete respiratory cycle, it enables your doctor to determine whether you have crackles or wheezes. Crackles are abnormal lung sounds caused by excessive secretions in the airways.

What are doctors listening for abdomen?

Abdomen. Your doctor listens to one or more regions of your abdomen separately to listen to your bowel sounds. They may hear swishing, gurgling, or nothing at all. Each sound informs your doctor about what's happening in your intestines.

What can be diagnosed with a stethoscope?

No matter what physicians hear through a stethoscope, it's not enough to make a diagnosis. But such exams usually prompt further testing to uncover the cause of abnormal or irregular heartbeats.

Why do doctors check back with a stethoscope?

We use our stethoscope to listen to your lungs in different places on your chest and back, checking for things like infection or fluid in the lungs, or wheezing, which is caused by an abnormal tightness the tubes that bring air into the lungs (called bronchi).

What can sounds from a stethoscope tell about a patient?

Doctors can hear the tell-tale sounds of a leaky valve and pinpoint which valve is leaking and the amount of blood leaking. Arrhythmias. Physicians can hear if the patient has a normal heart rhythm or if the patient has an abnormal rhythm, called an arrhythmia, like atrial fibrillation.

What side of the stethoscope do you use for bowel sounds?

Place the diaphragm of your stethoscope lightly over the right lower quadrant and listen for bowel sounds. If you don't hear any, continue listening for 5 minutes within that quadrant. Then, listen to the right upper quadrant, the left upper quadrant, and the left lower quadrant.

Can a stethoscope detect heart problems?

In many cases, heart murmurs and other abnormal heart sounds can only be detected when your doctor listens to your heart using a stethoscope. You may not notice any outward signs or symptoms. In some cases, you may notice signs or symptoms of an underlying heart condition.

Why do doctors thump your stomach?

When your provider presses on your belly, he or she may get clues to possible problems. This exam with the hands gives healthcare providers information about important parts of the body. These are the liver, spleen, kidneys, intestines, stomach, pancreas, bladder, gallbladder, appendix, and the abdominal aorta.

What do healthy lungs sound like?

Normal lung or vesicular breath sound: A doctor can hear this sound over most of the chest with a stethoscope, a device for listening to a person's internal body sounds. Vesicular breath sounds occur when air flows into and out of the lungs during breathing. The sound is soft, low pitched, and rustling in quality.

Why do doctors touch your breasts?

Breast exams help doctors check that everything's normal. During a breast exam, a doctor or nurse practitioner will feel a woman's breasts to check any lumps and bumps and see if there are changes since the last exam. Doctors don't usually start doing breast exams until a woman is in her 20s.

Can a doctor tell if something is wrong with your heart by listening to it?

Listening to Your Heart Your doctor will use a stethoscope to hear your heartbeat. The closing of your heart's valves makes a "lub dub" noise. The doctor can check your heart and valve health and hear your heart's rate and rhythm by listening to those sounds.

How do I know if my heart is OK?

Diagnostic tests could include blood tests, cardiac CT scan, cardiac MRI, cardiac catheterization, coronary angiography, echocardiography, stress testing, electrocardiogram and others.

Why do cardiologists look at your neck?

Finally, examining your neck can reveal possible circulatory problems. Your healthcare provider uses 2 fingers on each side of your neck to feel your carotid pulses. The right and left carotid arteries supply blood to your brain. Weak pulses could show a problem with the aortic valve or with the aorta.

How does a stethoscope work?

Even the tried-and-true stethoscope is evolving with technology: 1 Electronic stethoscopes now help physicians hear your heart more easily through sound amplification and noise-canceling technology. 2 Telemonitoring tools allow a physician to listen to your heartbeat remotely thanks to wireless technology. 3 A tool that combines the stethoscope and electrocardiogram (EKG) allows doctors to listen and watch heart rhythm simultaneously.

How long has a stethoscope been around?

The stethoscope has been around for nearly 200 years and is still draped across every physician’s neck or tucked into lab coat pockets. No other medical device can boast a longer life or more useful purpose.

What does a murmur in the heart mean?

2. Heart “murmurs: ” A murmur itself isn’t the problem; the abnormal sounds – “whooshing” noises that vary widely — indicate a potential problem. “These signify blood flow problems within the heart, usually a problem with the valves,” Dr. Khot says. “The pitch and where it is in the heart can tell us what the valve problem is.

What is a telemonitoring tool?

Telemonitoring tools allow a physician to listen to your heartbeat remotely thanks to wireless technology. A tool that combines the stethoscope and electrocardiogram (EKG) allows doctors to listen and watch heart rhythm simultaneously.

How does a stethoscope work?

Stethoscope works in a similar ways a microphone and speaker does - “ picks up the sound and delivers to earpiece -which we hear” . Different disease process produces unique sounds of different frequency (pitch ) and amplitude which we hear as different audible sound .

What does it mean when a doctor asks you to inhale or exhale?

Whenever a doc ask you to inhale or exhale he wish to increase the velocity of ai. Its like anyone with a mike (microphone ) checking if it’s working or not . In a similar whenever a doc puts his stethoscope he makes sure to listen what he wish to hear .

What are some examples of noises in the lungs?

To elaborate on the previous answer, the doctor is trying to detect specific noises that indicate problems with the lungs that include obstructions, inflammation, and fluid among other things. For example, wheezing sounds can be an indication of asthma attack. Crackling sounds can be an indication of pneumonia.

Why do doctors use stethoscopes?

During abdominal auscultation, the doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to your bowel movements. A stethoscope is used when listening to abdominal sounds because listening to bowel sounds is challenging by merely listening to your abdomen. Generally, bowel sounds are usually a regular occurrence.

Why is a stethoscope useful?

It is also a useful tool because it is very light hen ce easily portable.

What is the purpose of a stethoscope bell?

The stethoscope bell is used when auscultating heart sounds because it is effective in detecting lower-frequency sounds. In most cases, the doctor listens to S1 and S2 sounds, renowned as lub and dub. The S1 sound occurs following the closing of the mitral and tricuspid valves, and both of them tend to merge as one sound. And when the two sounds are considered independent, the tricuspid valve's closure is called T1, while that of the mitral valve is referred to as M1.#N#On the other hand, the second heart sound, also known as S2, is heard after the pulmonary and aortic valve closure. The closure of the aortic valve is also referred to as A2, and that of the pulmonary valve is known as P2. When the doctor is auscultating your heart, he or she mainly listens to how often every heart sound occurs, what they are like, and how loud they are. In case abnormal heart sounds are heard, it may suggest a heart problem, including heart failure.

Why do I have crackles when I get a stethoscope?

Crackles are abnormal lung sounds caused by excessive secretions in the airways. It can either be due to a transudate or an exudate.

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