Medical Questions » Radiology Questions » Question No. 840
| Question: | I keep having funny turns, and my doctor has ordered a ' dopple' test on the arteries in my neck. What will this involve? Are they safe? |
| Answer: | What your doctor has ordered is a doppler ultrasound.
When listening to a fast-moving vehicle approaching you, its engine noise changes pitch as the vehicle passes you and moves away. This change in the pitch of a sound due to movement is known as the doppler effect. This same effect can be used to measure the movement of fluids (such as blood) within the body.
Using a blunt probe that is placed against the skin, a high pitched sound wave (ultrasound) is passed into the body, and the reflection of the sound wave from stationary tissue and moving blood is measured and compared. In this way, the rate at which the blood is flowing can be determined.
The carotid artery in the neck is commonly one to be examined to see if there is any blockage or narrowing that may be responsible for your funny turns, but other arteries near the surface of the body (eg. in the groin) may also be checked to see if there is any blockage of the blood flow caused by a clot or build-up of a cholesterol plaque.
There is absolutely no discomfort to the patient during the procedure, it is completely safe, and you only have to lie still for a few minutes.
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