Hot ultrasound gel

baby3due2016 · September 2015

I had a transvaginal ultrasound done and the sono gel was past warm it was really hot this wouldn't cause any harm would it?

jonesl12 · September 2015

They do not get hot enough to burn or hurt you

saladflambe · September 2015

*blink*

ecwk · September 2015

Omg. Did the ultrasound tech know it was warm???

baby3due2016 · September 2015

It wasn't warm it was hot like over hot and it burned my skin I can still feel the burn today. No need to be rude I was asking a serious question because I was concerned. I did say something about it being hot but obviously at that point it had been inserted so I was just wondering if it was to burn anything in there if it would harm anything.

PrimRoseMama · September 2015

baby3due2016 said:

I had a transvaginal ultrasound done and the sono gel was past warm it was really hot this wouldn't cause any harm would it?

dude, no. C'mon and please use some common sense. They warm the gel for your comfort so you don't have cold gel on your skin.

I find it highly unlikely that it was so hot it burned you. They put it in a warmer that doesn't get any warmer than body temperature (I've asked). So maybe you were feeling extra sensitive to heat but in an OB's office they are not usually in the business of burning patients.

IF it was so hot it burned you, then you should say stop right that moment and ask them to test it themselves. You don't just stay quiet. You need to advocate for yourself and your baby.

If you have internal burns you would know-- if you have a very real concern contact your provider and tell them about this.

The short answer is: yes, if you have internal burns to your female organs then it could harm a bunch of stuff. However, you'd be in pain and have other symptoms of trouble. Anything that could burn your internal organs is a problem, but you most likely would not have been able to sit through the ultrasound if it was THAT warm.

kynbar5 · September 2015

Breathing the bleach fumes (that your so mops with) have a much bigger chance of harming your insides than the lukewarm gel that is used for u/s (transvaginal or otherwise).

baby3due2016 · September 2015

I wasn't at an ob office I was in the ER due to bleeding. My skin is burned today but hopefully it is just the skin on the outside. Also like I said earlier I did say something but at that point it had already been inserted. Everyone keeps claiming it was warm etc it was not warm it was hot I know the difference. My skin would not feel burned today from just warm gel. I know next time to ask my doctor instead because it seems that I have gotten some rude responses over a simple question. Sorry if it seems dumb to you but I know what a skin burn feels like and it is definitely burned and I am just concerned about it.

kynbar5 · September 2015

I would recommend contacting your ob as soon as possible if you're very concerned. We're on the internet, there's not really anything we can do. I hope you feel better and that everything is okay.

PrimRoseMama · September 2015

baby3due2016 said:

I wasn't at an ob office I was in the ER due to bleeding. My skin is burned today but hopefully it is just the skin on the outside. Also like I said earlier I did say something but at that point it had already been inserted. Everyone keeps claiming it was warm etc it was not warm it was hot I know the difference. My skin would not feel burned today from just warm gel. I know next time to ask my doctor instead because it seems that I have gotten some rude responses over a simple question. Sorry if it seems dumb to you but I know what a skin burn feels like and it is definitely burned and I am just concerned about it.

Yet another reason that going to the ER for bleeding is a bad idea. They can't help you. Odds are they just sent you home with "threatened miscarriage" and sent you home. The ER is not the place for any pregnancy emergency, truly.

Please do ask your doctor, but I'm thinking you may have been over reacting to this. Its not rude to question you and ask you to use common sense. Its simply a reminder that if you had true, internal injury you wouldn't be able to sit here and type on a community message board about it. You'd be back in the ER for that injury.

PrimRoseMama · September 2015

Also, @baby3due2016 : You seem to just want to argue with us when we really are trying to help. It is absolutely vital that you use your common sense with regards to your medical treatment. Please read some books on pregnancy and delivery for your own well-being. Everything I've said to you is not in the spirit of rudeness, but to empower you as a pregnant woman. If the gel was THAT hot then the exam doesn't go on-- full stop. The minute anything is off to me, I say stop and sit up. I've done it before during OB triage when in labor with my daughter in 2011. If something feels wrong, speak up immediately. Stop the procedure and get someone to listen to you.

doozer1345 · September 2015

baby3due2016 said:

I wasn't at an ob office I was in the ER due to bleeding. My skin is burned today but hopefully it is just the skin on the outside. Also like I said earlier I did say something but at that point it had already been inserted. Everyone keeps claiming it was warm etc it was not warm it was hot I know the difference. My skin would not feel burned today from just warm gel. I know next time to ask my doctor instead because it seems that I have gotten some rude responses over a simple question. Sorry if it seems dumb to you but I know what a skin burn feels like and it is definitely burned and I am just concerned about it.

What seems dumb is that if it was that hot you didn't jump off the table or tell them to get that the H out of you. Also, if it burned you it's not very smart you didn't file a complaint. Also, if you're legit burned I think you should probably hire a lawyer. Understand that it doesn't come across as very smart you don't know these things as is without needing someone to tell you these things. Techs, nurses, and/or doctors are not allowed to burn you.

e1berry · May 2023

Okay, I know it's been more than a few years since this thread was active, but for anyone who has this same question about gel being too hot, which is not that uncommon of a question, I had to address this string of comments from doozer1345. Feel free to ignore this user's wrong and bullying comments.

Yes, ultrasound gel can cause the feeling of a burn on the outside of the belly and internally if it is hot. And it is very unlikely you will jump off the table (and threaten to hire a lawyer!) because of it. Especially when it is transvaginal, where you are already in a vulnerable position at a doctor's office, people have a tendency to think everything 'must be fine because a doctor is doing it'. While there are no studies of it causing any damage, it can definitely cause discomfort, especially after the procedure is over when you have a chance to feel your body again and are not vulnerable and distracted by seeing your baby for what may be the first time.

So for doozer1345, if you aren't inside someone else's body, you don't get to comment on their experience being "dumb". You have no idea. Pregnancy is hard enough already and you aren't helping anyone.

And for anyone who found the gel too hot at your last appointment, don't feel shy about asking for cooler gel the next time. The US tech will understand, and every body is different.