A carotid ultrasound is a test that uses ultrasound waves to examine the arteries in the neck. These arteries are called carotid arteries and they are the major arteries that carry blood to the brain.
Carotid ultrasound is a non-invasive, safe and painless procedure that helps doctors to detect hardening of the carotid arteries (atherosclerosis) or any blockage in the arteries.
The probe (transducer) sends ultrasound waves and receives the reflected ultrasound waves from the arteries. A computer uses the information coming from the probe to construct ultrasound images of the neck arteries and compute blood flow velocities. The images are displayed on an ultrasound machine screen, printed on paper and videotaped.
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