Why do doctors...?

Question

Why do doctors when taking your pulse take it down on your stomach as well as your chest? When doing a physical?

Answer 1

They do not take your pulse on your stomach. When the listen there with the stethoscope they are checking your bowel sounds not your pulse.

Answer 2

They do not take a pulse on your chest of you stomach.

There is two ways if checking your pulse:
Radial and Carotid

Doctors will check your internal organs around your stomach if that is what you are thinking. And will take a stethascope to your chest and back.

And your chest?
Maybe your doctor is touching you in an unprofessional way or does not know their job.

Here is a website for your information:

http://www.healthtouch.com/bin/EContent_HT/cnoteShowLfts.asp?fname=02501&title=HOW+TO+TAKE+A+PULSE+&cid=HTHLTH

Answer 3

I always figured that they are listening to see if your heart beat sounds regular and if your breathing sounds normal. The girl above mentioning bowel sounds is most likely right too. Unless they are watching their watch or a clock on the wall they aren't taking your pulse.

I really wouldn't know though, I'm not a doctor.

Answer 4

The reason that they check the stomach area it's to check for bowel sounds and yes, they do use a stethoscope to listen for that. They check your lungs (by putting the stethoscope to your chest) to make sure that the lungs are clear of fluid. Fluid in the lungs can mean something like bronchitis or pneumonia.

Answer 5

They are usually listening to bowel sounds. Sometimes they are listening for abnormal sounds called "bruits", which might indicate a blood vessel abnormality. Those are quite rare.

Answer 6

Mine takes it on my abdomen too, its really thin and he can feel it right above my navel, he just presses into it and can feel the pulse

Answer 7

when they check Ur stomach, they're checking heart sounds, bowel sounds as well as respiration's, in fact, if he just puts his hand on your stomach and not the stethoscope, he's checking reparations