The difference between a sonogram vs. ultrasound often causes more confusion than it probably should. At first glance, they might seem like two completely different things. However, the reality is they’re actually kind of the same thing. Think of them as two sides of the same coin. But it’s still important to know the difference between a sonogram vs. ultrasound, especially if you’re trying to conceive or are already pregnant.
An ultrasound is essentially the procedure that creates the image of structures inside your body. Or, in the case of pregnancy, your baby. A sonogram is actually just the image made by the ultrasound. A great way you can help wrap your head around the slight difference is that the ultrasound is like a camera and the sonogram is like the picture that the camera takes. They’re connected to each other and need one another to function, but they’re not the exact same thing. Make sense?
If you’ve dealt with a miscarriage before, we know it’s hard to not obsessively google every symptom or change your body is enduring during pregnancy. You might be searching for any answer that your pregnancy is progressing fine. A huge part of reducing this anxiety and feeling reassured is proper education about things like an ultrasound vs. sonogram.
If you’re still struggling to understand the difference, this article will help you clarify the relationship between the two terms, sonogram vs. ultrasound, and help you understand the importance of both, especially for things like prenatal testing. We’ll go in-depth about what an ultrasound is, what a sonogram is, different types of ultrasound examinations, and why sonogram and ultrasound are synonymous terms.
- Understanding Ultrasound Technology
- The Term “Sonogram”
- Different Types of Ultrasound Examinations
Understanding Ultrasound Technology
An ultrasound is noninvasive medical imaging that shows the structures inside your body. When you’re getting an ultrasound, the steps might differ depending on what your ultrasound is looking for. For prenatal care, you’ll lie on your back on an examination table where your doctor will spread a water-based, clear gel on your stomach.
A handheld probe will glide over your belly. Essentially, the gel will help the probe transmit high-frequency sound waves, which will bounce off the structures in your body. The probe converts the waves into electrical signals, and then a computer will use those signals to develop real-time images or videos, which you and your doctor will be able to see on a computer screen nearby. In prenatal care, these “structures” mean your baby!
Ultrasound technology is valued in the medical field because of its versatility. It’s able to produce images of things that don’t show up well on x-rays, like soft tissue.
“In obstetrics, ultrasounds are tools to assess pregnancy viability, screen for genetic and anatomical abnormalities, assess fetal health and development and evaluate potential risk for complications that could occur during labor and delivery,” Dr. Whitney Booker, a double-board certified physician in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Columbia University said. “In gynecology, ultrasounds can be used to screen for gynecological cancers, detect abnormal anatomical structures and identify masses or pathologies like polycystic ovary syndrome and fibroids.”
Dr. Booker also explained that ultrasounds can be used to access blood clots, heart structure and blood flow in arteries and veins.Also, it’s non-invasive and doesn’t require radiation. While we all know ultrasounds are famously used to see pregnancies, they can be used for a variety of other things, like taking images of the heart, ovaries, skin, muscles, brain, breasts and more.
We understand that many moms-to-be might feel uneasy about whether ultrasounds are safe for your baby and pregnancy. There’s this belief that ultrasounds can cause miscarriage due to radiation. However, rest assured, modern ultrasounds are completely safe. They can’t cause a miscarriage or anything harmful. So while it’s always good to ask questions, you can feel confident that ultrasounds are both routine and safe.
The Term “Sonogram”
Like we mentioned, the images created by an ultrasound is called a sonogram. When your doctor looks at the computer screen attached to the ultrasound, they are looking at the sonogram. That little picture that you get of your baby after an ultrasound to hang on the fridge? Yep, that’s a sonogram!
In the 1950s, Ian Donald, the Regius Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Glasgow, John MacVicar, an obstetrician and Tom Brown, an industrial engineer, came together to develop the first ultrasound prototypes. After nearly a decade of work, they came up with the world’s first commercial ultrasound, called the Diasonograph. From there, the ultrasound grew into what it is today.
So, where did the term sonogram come from? The Latin root “sono-” means sounds, and the “-gram” means something written or recorded. That literally means sonogram is “sound writing” or “sound recording.”
Despite being technically redundant, the term sonogram has persisted in the medical field. One reason is because it’s become a big part of pregnancy language. Eager moms and dads await their first “sonogram” photo instead of an “ultrasound photo.” In a sense, it’s become a familiar term to describe the images, and that’s why it’s stuck around for so long.
Different Types of Ultrasound Examinations
Ultrasounds are not just used in prenatal care. Ultrasounds are versatile and can be used on many different parts of the body for various medical reasons. Here are a few of the most common ones.
Obstetric:
An obstetric ultrasound is the one you’re probably most familiar with. It’s the technical term for when doctors conduct an ultrasound to produce pictures of your baby. Your healthcare provider will check the baby’s growth, monitor its development, determine if you’re having more than one baby and reveal its gender if you wish. During this time, the ultrasound will also be used to monitor your ovaries and uterus to make sure everything is healthy and progressing in your pregnancy.
Abdominal:
An abdominal ultrasound is as straightforward as it sounds: It’s used to look at everything in your abdomen, like your liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas and kidneys. Doctors can also use an abdominal ultrasound to look at the blood vessels that lead to these organs, like the inferior vena cava and aorta.
Echocardiogram:
An echocardiogram, or more commonly known as an echo, looks at your heart. It’s used to check the heart’s blood flow, diagnose heart disease and monitor the heart’s valves.
Transvaginal:
A transvaginal ultrasound is used to see some of your reproductive organs and pelvic cavity. This includes your ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes and cervix. This type of ultrasound is inserted into the vagina to help your doctor get more detailed images. If you’re pregnant, your healthcare provider might opt to use a transvaginal ultrasound to monitor or confirm your pregnancy in the earliest stages Once you are further along, they won’t need to use a transvaginal ultrasound and instead, can see the baby and placenta via your growing belly.
Doppler:
A doppler ultrasound is used to see the blood flow through your blood vessels. It does this through bouncing the sound waves off of red blood cells in your bloodstream. This ultrasound can be used to diagnose conditions like blockages in your arteries or, blood clots, aneurysms or heart valve defects. Usually, a doppler will be used at every prenatal appointment to check and listen for the baby’s heartbeat.
Remember, the terms sonogram vs. ultrasound are connected, but they’re not exactly the same. “A sonogram and an ultrasound are related, but the words mean different things. An ultrasound refers to the procedure itself. It uses high-frequency sound waves to create images inside of the body. The sound waves bounce off tissues, and the echoes are used to form images on a monitor (incredible, right?!) A sonogram is the resulting image or result that is produced by the ultrasound procedure. It’s the visual representation of the data collected during the ultrasound,” Dr. Melissa Dennis, a board certified OB/GYN, explained.
By knowing the difference between the two, you’ll be able to understand some of the medical jargon that comes with pregnancy. Knowing the technology behind medical imaging is so important as it helps you understand what your body is going through during your pregnancy, hopefully alleviating some of your anxiety during pregnancy after loss. From diagnosing life-threatening conditions to monitoring a baby’s development, ultrasound technology is a key part of how medicine works.
