What is a Doppler ultrasound?

Answer From Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.

Doppler ultrasound is a noninvasive test that can be used to measure the blood flow through your blood vessels. It works by bouncing high-frequency sound waves off red blood cells that are circulating in the bloodstream. A regular ultrasound uses sound waves to produce images, but can't show blood flow.

A Doppler ultrasound may help diagnose many conditions, including:

  • Blood clots.
  • Poorly functioning valves in your leg veins, which can cause blood or other fluids to pool in your legs, known as venous insufficiency.
  • Heart valve defects and congenital heart disease.
  • A blocked artery, called arterial occlusion.
  • Decreased blood circulation into your legs, called peripheral artery disease.
  • Bulging arteries, known as aneurysms.
  • Narrowing of an artery in the neck, called carotid artery stenosis.

A Doppler ultrasound can estimate how fast blood flows by measuring the rate of change in its pitch, also called frequency. A technician trained in ultrasound imaging, called a sonographer, performs the Doppler ultrasound. The sonographer presses a small hand-held device against the skin over the area of your body being examined. The device moves from one area to another as necessary.

This test may be done as an alternative to more-invasive procedures, such as angiography. An angiography involves injecting dye into the blood vessels so that they show up clearly on X-ray images.

A Doppler ultrasound test also may help check for injuries to your arteries or to monitor certain treatments to your veins and arteries.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Dec. 05, 2023 See more Expert Answers

See also

  1. Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis
  2. Chronic exertional compartment syndrome
  3. Claudication
  4. Esophageal varices
  5. Fibromuscular dysplasia
  6. Lymphedema
  7. Patent foramen ovale
  8. Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
  9. Polyhydramnios
  10. Runner's Compartment Syndrome
  11. Varicose veins
  12. Endovenous thermal ablation