why do doctors use stethoscopes to listen to different locations on our body, both front and back?

Question

Why do doctors use stethoscopes to listen to different locations on our body, both front and back? What’s the listening for? It always perplexes me.

In: Biology

Answer 1

Front is generally listening to your heart, back is generally your lungs. They usually listen to 4 spots on your back which correspond to the upper and lower lobes of your left and right lung. If they hear anything abnormal when you’re breathing deep, like crackling or wheezing, they can narrow down where it’s happening