How To Prepare for an Ultrasound Properly?

October 28, 2025

3 min read

The results of an ultrasound scan, like any other test, may turn out to be incorrect if preparation was wrong. What can and cannot be done before the procedure?

Key takeaways

The results of an ultrasound scan, like any other test, may turn out to be incorrect if preparation was wrong.
Abdominal ultrasound
Kidney ultrasound

Who this is for

People exploring Healthy lifestyle through ultrasound, pregnancy.

Why it matters

This piece helps you get oriented quickly, then move into a collection or series if you want to keep going.

Article author

Dr. Anna

Doctor of ultrasound diagnostics

Abdominal ultrasound

An ultrasound of the abdominal cavity includes the study of many organs, including the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, adrenal glands, and lymph nodes.

For a planned (not urgent) ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, there are a number of nutrition recommendations to follow beforehand. All of them are aimed at reducing the amount of gas, formed as a result of fermentation in the intestines. This diet should be followed for 2–3 days before the diagnosis.

You can eat:

Boiled/baked/steamed lean meat
Low-fat fish
Hard-boiled eggs (no more than 1–2 per day)
Porridge cooked in water
Low-fat hard cheese ⠀

Not recommended:

Legumes
Carbonated drinks and alcohol ⠀
Milk and fermented milk products ⠀
Sweets and bakery products
Raw vegetables and fruits
High-fat fish and meat

You need to eat in small portions every 3–4 hours. Drink at least 50 oz per day of liquids, preferably water. If your ultrasound is going to be performed in the morning, you need to be on an empty stomach. If it is in the afternoon, you should stop eating 5 hours before the ultrasound.

If you previously had a barium X-ray, then you should leave at least 2 days between it and the ultrasound. If you have had a gastroscopy or colonoscopy, allow at least one day.

Kidney ultrasound

Special preparation for this type of ultrasound is not required. If there is a tendency for increased gas formation in the intestine, follow the nutritional points above for the abdominal ultrasound.

Thyroid ultrasound

No special training is required. It is recommended to remove jewelry from the neck beforehand.

Heart ultrasound

No preparation for echocardiography is required. It is recommended to avoid alcohol, tea, and coffee a day before the test, and to avoid smoking for 2–3 hours before.

Ultrasound of the bladder and prostate

Ultrasounds of the bladder and prostate in men and the bladder in women are performed with a full bladder. An hour before the test, you need to drink a liter of water and of course, try not to go to the toilet.

Breast ultrasound

No special advice is required here. To obtain accurate results, it is recommended to examine the first half of the menstrual cycle, that is, on days 5–10 as it’s the most stable hormonal background. If the patient is taking hormonal contraceptives or is in a state of menopause, then the timing does not matter.

Pelvic ultrasound

There are three ways to perform pelvic ultrasound: transabdominal, transvaginal, and transrectal. Transabdominal can be done to both men and women. Transvaginal is for women only, and transrectal is for men only.

The transabdominal examination takes place through the abdominal wall, so the same diet as the abdominal ultrasound should be followed. 1–2 hours before the procedure, you need to drink a few glasses of water to keep the bladder full.

It is not necessary to follow a diet for a transvaginal examination. The bladder should be empty. Examination of the uterus and ovaries is best done on the 5–7th day of the menstrual cycle.

Examination for men takes place transrectally, or through the abdominal wall. It is important to stick to your diet and cleanse your intestines before your procedure.

Implementing these recommendations ensures that you get the most accurate result. And it is most convenient to store information in the "Ornament" application so that it is always at hand, along with the necessary analyses, even if a visit to the doctor is not planned yet.

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