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What Doctors listen for with a Stethoscope

Your body makes sounds all the time, but most can't be heard with your naked ear.

stethoscope uses
Dr. Rob picks up a weekend Hobby... Oh, oh.

If you've ever run a marathon or been very hungry, you'll know that you can hear your heart beating and your stomach growling. These sounds never actually stop. A doctor uses a stethoscope as an amplifier. When placed against your body it picks up your internal sounds and makes them loud enough to hear.

The most common and diagnostically important sounds are from your heart and stomach.

A normal heart makes two clicking sounds each beat as valves within shut at two different times each beat. Extra clicks and whooshing sounds suggest that valve system is no longer 'watertight' and is malfunctioning.

Your stomach is also a constant noise maker. This occurs as it pushes food and gas along creating gurgling sounds. If it starts to work harder as in gastroenteritis, it will make more noise, and if it stops working then it will make no noise.

Doctors learn to pick up clues to what might be wrong with you by learning what sounds are normal, which are abnormal, and what they signify.

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Helpful Links:

  • What's it like being a Doctor?
  • What tools does a Doctor carry to work?
  • What do Doctors listen for with a stethoscope?
  • History of the Stethoscope
  • How much does a Doctor know?
  • How to become a Doctor
  • How a Doctor visit works
  • How to read a Prescription
  • Why Doctors Write Badly


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    Last Updated:
    March 23 2015
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