What can a doctor tell from a stethoscope?

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.

What are doctors listening for with a stethoscope on your back?

Take a deep breath. 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 does sound mean when using a stethoscope?

Normally, two distinct sounds are heard through the stethoscope: a low, slightly prolonged “lub” (first sound) occurring at the beginning of ventricular contraction, or systole, and produced by closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves, and a sharper, higher-pitched “dup” (second sound), caused…

What heart problems can a stethoscope detect?

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 tell you to take a deep breath?

Your doctor will also instruct you to take deep breaths while they listen. Deep breaths use the entire lung and thus provide more information if something’s going on deep inside. They’re looking for abnormal sounds, which can point to a potential health problem.

Why do doctors check your private parts?

The main reason for doing a genital exam is to make sure the genitals are maturing normally, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Overdeveloped or underdeveloped genitals can signal an underlying hormonal problem requiring treatment, says Dr.

Why does the doctor tap on your stomach?

Press Your Tummy It’s where your liver, stomach, intestines and other vital organs live. So your doctor will prod a bit, testing to make sure everything is healthy. This is to make sure nothing is too tender, too big, or too firm.

How do you know if you have a chest infection with a stethoscope?

Holding it between the index and middle finger of your dominant hand, place the chest piece of the stethoscope flat on the patient’s chest using gentle pressure. Using a ‘stepladder’ approach (Fig 4a) listen to breath sounds on the anterior chest.

Why do doctors ask you to take a deep breath?

How do you listen to a stethoscope?

Use the diaphragm of your stethoscope to listen to your patient’s lungs.

1. As you listen place the stethoscope on the upper part of the chest, then the midclavicular line of the chest, and then the bottom part of the chest.
2. Make sure to compare both sides of your patient’s lungs and note if anything is abnormal.

What does a heart murmur feel like?

A typical heart murmur sounds like a whooshing noise. According to the American Heart Association, it usually feels like a very subtle extra pulse. Heart murmurs are common, especially among young children.

Why do doctors ask you to stick out your tongue?

Physicians often ask their patients to “Please stick out your tongue.” The tongue can betray signs of illness, which combined with other symptoms such as a cough, fever, presence of jaundice, headache or bowel habits, can help the physician offer a diagnosis.

What does a doctor Listen to with a stethoscope?

Heart – the doctor uses the stethoscope to listen for what the heart sounds like; how often each sound occurs and how intense or loud is the sound. Abdomen – The doctor will check the abdomen to listen to the bowel sounds (which could be a swish, gurgle or nothing at all) to know what’s going on in the intestines.

What is the function of the bell on a stethoscope?

Diaphragm – The flat circular piece constructed from metal at the end of the stethoscope used to capture low pitched sounds. Bell – This is a smaller cup-shaped object on the back of the diaphragm used to capture high pitched sounds. Tubing – Sounds are transmitted from the diaphragm or bell through the acoustic tubing to the earpieces via

What is the best stethoscope for low pitched sounds?

The bell will be better for hearing low-pitched sounds. If you need super accurate or detailed sound measurements from your patient, you may want to use an electronic stethoscope. Electronic stethoscopes amplify the sounds from a patient’s body, making it even easier to hear the heart and lungs.

How has technology changed the stethoscope?

Even the tried-and-true stethoscope is evolving with technology: Electronic stethoscopes now help physicians hear your heart more easily through sound amplification and noise canceling technology. Telemonitoring tools allow a physician to listen to your heartbeat remotely through wireless technology or the Internet.