Should i eat before ultrasound

A full bladder is very important for the ultrasound exam. Empty your bladder 90 minutes before exam time, then consume one 8-ounce glasses of fluid water, milk, coffee, etc. We recommend a two-piece outfit so we can access your abdomen without you removing your clothing.

You may eat normally and take any necessary medication. The ultrasound waves are transmitted and collected via a hand held probe which is moved over the abdomen. You will not feel any pain or discomfort. An ultrasound is an extremely accurate diagnostic tool. Very rarely, though, some abnormalities cannot be detected due to the position of the baby, gestational age weeks or other normal variations.

Do not be alarmed if the trained sonographer or specialist recommends another scan or further tests. Your procedure will take approximately minutes, after which you may have to wait while the images are prepared and reported. You can also pick up the films and report at a later time. They can also be provided on CD or electronic transfer to your referring practitioner if requested.

We understand that some patients are anxious about having tests performed. If you do have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask our staff. In addition to the increased air, other areas, like the gallbladder, cannot be properly seen after eating. This is because part of the digestive process involves the gallbladder releasing bile through the bile ducts.

This process causes the gallbladder walls to collapse making it impossible to see inside. It takes several hours for the gallbladder to fill back up with bile. Please note: It is fine to have a few sips of water in order to take required medication prior to the ultrasound.

Pylorus ultrasounds are another type of exam of the abdomen that requires a prep of nothing to eat. For the abdominal scan , you need to fast for at least four hours. There is widespread inaccurate information online regarding the length of fasting for an abdominal scan. For example, Healthline recommends 12 hours fasting which is nothing more than outdated, cruel and unnecessary. The main reason for fasting for the abdominal scan preparation is to give time for the gallbladder to fill up with bile and expand so it is visible during the ultrasound scan examination.

The gallbladder is like a balloon and stores the bile. When you eat something fatty the gallbladder excretes the bile into the bowel to break down the fat so it collapses and therefore is difficult to be visualized on ultrasound.

Is fasting necessary for an ultrasound?