Examinations
What happens during an examination, what it shows and what it cannot show – ultrasound, blood count, swabs and imaging.
Every examination answers one particular question – and is silent on all the others. Ultrasound shows the uterus, the ovaries and, in pregnancy, the baby, but it cannot see a cell change on the cervix; that is what the smear is for. The blood count shows iron deficiency and inflammation, but not whether a cycle had an ovulation. Anyone who knows what a finding can tell you understands it better – and is not lulled into false security by a normal one.
The articles below explain the examinations that take place at the practice or are arranged from it: ultrasound as the central examination in gynaecology, the blood count and what its values mean, X-rays and radiation – above all the question of what is allowed in pregnancy –, ECG and the heart and allergies and allergy testing. What is due when in life is ordered by the screening planner.
Calculators for this topic
Articles
Itching in the genital area that looks like thrush and is not – and the question of which tablet is allowed in …
Blood countExhaustion, hair loss, breathlessness on the stairs – often a value lies behind it that a tablet puts right.
ECG and the heartIn pregnancy the heart does forty per cent more work; after the menopause the risk profile changes.
UltrasoundThe central examination in gynaecology. What becomes visible, how accurate a weight estimate is – and what a normal …
X-rays and radiationThe question asked most often with real fear – and almost always answerable with reassurance.
Frequently asked questions
Which examinations are included in the consultation?
Consultation, gynaecological examination, ultrasound, wet mount and the other examinations that are possible on site. Only external laboratory findings are invoiced separately, unless they are covered by public insurance.
Is ultrasound safe in pregnancy?
Yes. Ultrasound works with sound waves, not radiation; in more than fifty years of use no harm has been demonstrated. The examination is still kept to the time needed to answer a medical question.
What if a finding is normal but I have symptoms?
Then the question has not yet been answered, only one cause ruled out. Some causes – endometriosis, for example – are often not visible on ultrasound. Symptoms count even if the picture shows nothing; they are assessed further.