Question

Name the instrument that is used for listening sounds produced within the body.

Answer 1

Hint: Auscultation is the medical term for utilizing a stethoscope to hear the sounds from within the body. It is simple and has no risk or side effects for the patients. Auscultation is a very important step in order to figure out any abnormal sounds from inside the body. Heart sounds give important information regarding the heart function. Auscultation is utilized to find out abnormal heart sounds and determine further course of action.

Complete answer:
Stethoscope is a medical instrument utilized for hearing the sounds produced inside the body, mostly in the heart or lungs. It was invented by the French physician René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laënnec. In 1819, he explained the use of a pierced wooden cylinder to give off sounds from the patient’s chest to the physician’s ear. In hearing the heart sounds, specifically, it is essential to use both, a bell-shaped, open-ended chest piece, which gives off low-pitched sounds, and the flat chest piece that is covered with a half rigid disk i.e., diaphragm type. It detects sounds of higher frequency. Instruments having both types of chest piece are arranged so that they can be quickly interchanged by turning a valve, and are widely used.
Heart sounds are produced by blood flowing in and out of the heart’s chambers via the valves as they open and close. Hearing the heart sounds with the help of a stethoscope i.e., auscultation is one of the first steps a physician takes in assessing a patient’s medical condition.
The cardiac cycle comprises of two phases:
(i) Systole: When the ventricles contract to pump out the blood.
(ii) Diastole: When the ventricles relax and fill with blood.
These two phases make up one heartbeat.
In a healthy adult, the heart produces two sounds, commonly known as ‘lubb’ and ‘dubb.’
Abnormal sounds may indicate problems in various regions of the body like lungs, abdomen, heart and major blood vessels. Some issues that can involve irregular heart rate are Crohn’s disease, phlegm or fluid build-up in the lungs.

Note:
Blood flow produces vibrations in the heart chambers and valves which makes audible sounds that can be heard with the help of a stethoscope. Smooth, low-resistance blood flow is called a laminar flow. When the flow is rough with high resistance it is known as a turbulent flow.