Your cardiovascular system circulates blood throughout your entire body. Blood vessels are the veins and arteries that carry blood from your heart to your other organs and limbs. Good circulation is necessary to stay healthy. When narrowed or blocked blood vessels interrupt this system, they can cause serious problems. Limited blood flow or blockages can lead to strokes, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and other life-threatening conditions.

The purpose of a Doppler ultrasound is to give your doctor a better look at the condition of your veins, allowing your physician to identify the cause of your circulatory problems. These noninvasive exams use sound waves to create images of your veins, enabling doctors to examine blood flow and pressure throughout your body. If there is a clot, plaque buildup or another issue, it will appear on the ultrasound. Your doctor can use these images and relevant data to make a diagnosis or establish a treatment plan.