Risks of CT Scans
It is not wise to use CT scans for routine annual check up.
These days people go in for whole-body CT (computed tomography) scans to detect hidden diseases as a proactive health measure for normal and healthy people. CT scans can provide images with up to 20 times the detail of ordinary x-rays. A pencil thin beam of X-rays passed through the body produces cross sectional images from multiple angles, and when this is passed through a computer, the doctors can see three-dimensional image from any angle.
How does a Cat Scan Machine Work
Risks of Radiation
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that there hasn’t been any demonstrable benefit of whole-body scanning for asymptomatic individuals. CT scans are not foolproof; they can fail to detect some conditions, and can give false alarms that lead to further, unnecessary testing. CT scans result in relatively high radiation exposure, and the risks associated with such exposure, such as cancer, are greatly outweighed by the benefits of routine diagnostic CT.
We are constantly exposed to radiation from cosmic sources and this dose can be 3 mSv per year, and the radiation from a CT scan is what you will receive over a three-year period. The effects of such exposures are cumulative. When you juxtapose this with the fact that a 20-mSv dose was linked with cancer in victims of atomic bombs in Japan, you can see the danger of routine screening with CT scan.
CT scan is advisable when a person presents with confusing symptoms and the benefits of scan outweigh the risks of radiation.
Are CT Scans worth the risk and cost in symptom free individuals? In the following video, the Associate Producer Carolisa Pomerantz of the documentary Reverse Aging Now, talks of CT and a “startling discovery”
CT scans are known to cause damage to sexual organs of children. They are also harmful to eyes (can lead to opacity of eye lenses) and thyroids.
Often dyes called contrast agents are given intravenously before a CT scan or an angiogram to enhance the clarity of images. These are substances that weaken x-rays as they pass through the organ containing the contrast medium and appear as white areas on the x-ray or CT scan images. This increases the sensitivity of the CT scan. CT scans of the abdomen and pelvic regions often use iodine as well as the barium as a contrast agent that can impair kidney function. Old people whose kidneys are already vulnerable, and those with diabetes or heart failure are the most at risk from them as they cause creatinine levels, an indicator of kidney function to go up. Patients should inform the radiologist of diabetes, asthma and heart, kidney or thyroid problems. These conditions may indicate a higher risk of iodine reactions.
Ensure the use of lead apron to shield the rest of the patient’s body from “scatter” radiation, especially the genitalia. Women who are pregnant or likely to be so should always inform their physician before undergoing a CT scan.
Here’s an interview with Dr. Aaron Sodickson, a well known radiologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Reference: FDA site
Comparing CT Scan with MRI: Understanding MRI
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ken bultman | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
Excellent article. Few health providers would recommend the CT scan to a person without symptoms due to its very high expense. My tech advised me the results from such a scan are generally nebulous only indicating so-called hot spots that need further diagnostic tests…in my case a sonogram which can pinpoint with greater accuracy. You are correct in that CT scans on top of multiple Xray exams can lead to excessive radiation.
chitragopi | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
People believe CT scan is the final word in diagonosis. Highly informative article.
Darla Smith | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
Very interesting and informative article.
Fiona Beck | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
I had no idea of these risks! Excellent article!
martinpm | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
great article as always! packed with information.
Vikram Chhabra | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
Good to know all of this..
Sourav | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
Informative article!
Chris Stonecipher | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
Your article is packed with great information and your videos are interesting too. Well done my friend.
Petalm | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
Good info, I would like to read a comparison between CT and MRI, is MRI dangerous at all?
Christine Ramsay | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
This never ocurred to me before. It does sound as though we need to think twice before having a scan. Thanks for the warning.
Christine
Jenny Heart | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
Great things to know!
jessicuslevi | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
Very interesting
cebuanaeyez | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
Radiation is never good for the body…great article!
Jo Oliver | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
Sometimes it is necessary, but this is good info to alert the patient of what to expect, risks, etc.. I would have liked to see a little more pro vs con, but very well done.
Did you see the story a few wks ago where doctors at a hospital in Ca. turned up the CT scan and patients were coming back in wondering why they were losing their hair…..very interesting story.
Eunice Tan | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
Thanks for this informative article.
Teves | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Nice and interesting…
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Friendly.Gummy.Bear | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Thanks for sharing
Jane Benitez | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Excellent article and very well done. Thanks for such graphic information.
A.L.Smith | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Great article, I way add it to my blog.
Remmyramesh | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Great info Uma.. And hats off to hit the ‘Hot Content’ list!!
Webiny | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
A very informative article here. I knew of the presence of the radiation during the procedure, but this article has put all the statistics I needed in a nutshell. I sincerely hope that I never need to undergo one of these scans.
Oh and, Congratulations on making the hot content list!
Dark Antirex | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Good info, thank you.
Ruby Hawk | Oct 28, 2009 | Reply
Information we should all be aware of.
papaleng | Oct 29, 2009 | Reply
Very informative post!