Doctors use computed tomography for multiple reasons. Like they might use it to look for the issues that reside in your body, plan for surgery, or to evaluate the progress of your treatment. CT scan services in Watauga use potent X-rays, it is a type of radiation that provide detailed pictures of the internal structure of the body. Many people get scared of going to an X-ray imaging center because they think a CT scan or X-ray can lead to cancer. However, the possibility of getting cancer from a CT scan is very low. As a result, the benefits of a CT scan are very high compared to the minimum risk you take. Computed tomography assists doctors in identifying critical health issues and analyzing whether the treatment is working or not.
Radiations during CT scan services in Watauga
X-rays that are used during computed tomography are known as ionizing radiation. This specific type of radiation can damage the cell’s DNA and increase the possibility of turning them into a cancerous one.
These scans expose you to enhanced radiation than the other imaging tests such as X-rays and mammograms. To help you understand this in a simpler way, a one-chest CT scan in 100 to 800 X-rays. This might sound like you are getting a lot of it, but it is still very small. Everyone should also remember that everyone gets exposed to ionizing radiation in their daily routine. According to a study, an average person is exposed to almost three millisieverts(mSv). mSv is a unit that scientists use to calculate radiation. However, the CT scan applied to you in an X-ray imaging center delivers 1 to 10 mSv. This quantity also depends upon the dosage and the part of the body that is being scanned. Additionally, the low-dose CT scan is about 1.5 mSv. Moreover, the same chest scan at a full dose is equal to 8 mSv. The more CT scan services you get, the more you are exposed to radiation. But this shouldn’t stop you from getting them if it is suggested by the doctors.
Does it cause cancer?
You might be thinking, what will the probability of having issues be when taking a CT scan? The factors that must be kept in mind are the age and the part of the specimen that is going to be scanned. However, your chances of getting cancer from a CT scan are very low, as the possibility of getting severe cancer from a CT scan is 1 in 2000. Moreover, some parts of the body are more sensitive to radiation than others. It affects the cells more that grow and divide quickly. Organs like bone marrow, thyroid gland, lungs, and breast all of these body parts have fast-growing and dividing cells, so that’s why they have more chances of getting side effects than other organs like the brain.
Moreover, women have more tendency to generate cancer than men. Similarly, children also have risk factors because they are growing and their cells divide faster. They also have more years to come, and the chances of getting cancer from radiation also increase due to this factor.
Precautions you can take
There is no need to avoid CT scans. However, it is beneficial to ensure that you are getting each one of them. Moreover, it would be best if you always asked these questions before taking any imaging test:
- What is the purpose of this scan?
- What are its effects on my treatment?
- What are the risks associated with this scan?
- Is there any possibility that you can evaluate my disease without the usage of radiation like an ultrasound or MRI?
- What will be the process of protecting the rest of my body from radiation during a scan?
Ask the doctor to use the smallest possible dose of radiation during a scan, and if the scans are going to happen repeatedly, you should recommend it consistently. Also, ask the technician in the X-ray imaging center to protect the rest of your body that isn’t going to be scanned. This is also necessary so that X-rays don’t enter the body parts that are not necessary.
Keeping a record:
You should always keep track of the CT scans and X-Rays that you have taken so far. This will give you an idea of how much radiation has entered your body. Moreover, it will also avoid the tests that you have already been through. You should always write the specific details of the test like:
- What type of scan are you taking?
- What if the date you are going to take it?
- What is the dose of radiation you are going to get?
- Last but not least, what is the facility you are going to take the test?
So, whenever you want CT scan services in Watauga, make sure that you visit ER of Watauga. We have some of the best X-Ray imaging centers near you with the best equipment and cooperative staff.