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CT Scans and its Dangers

CT Scans, or Computed Tomography scans, uses special x-ray equipment to take multiple pictures around your body from different angles. Then a computer takes the information it is given to process images and present us with the cross section of the body that is being examined. CT scans are mainly used to help diagnose, find or see tumors, infections, cancer, bone and muscle fractures, blood clots and other internal injuries that can't be viewed from the outside. These scans can also be used to guide doctors and surgeons during procedures such as surgeries, biopsies and radiation.

CT Scan Benefits

Along with owning large scientific equipment such as CT scans, there are health benefits and health risks. Some benefits to being able to use CT scans is that they are non-invasive, painless and fast if needed to quickly diagnose. These scans of the body allow doctors to view detailed images of many different types of tissues, bone, and internal organs. Some other benefits is that the computed tomography scans can help doctors by guiding them through several minimally invasive procedures such as radiotherapy, needle biopsies, etc. Also, the computed tomography scan is an affordable tool of equipment to use for a wide range of clinical problems.

CT Scan Risks

The risks that are included with taking part in having a computed tomography scan done is being exposed to radiation in the form of x-rays. Depending on the area of exposure and the amount of radiation your body is allowed to withstand, if exposed longer than allowed for your body type, the risks can vary as well. People who have asthma, diabetes, allergies, kidney, heart, and/or thyroid problems are susceptible to even more additional risks. Also, extra precautions should be taken if you are pregnant, breast feeding, or had previous CT scans on the same area of their body. According to the website Consumer Reports, which I accessed on 16 of April of 2017, published on the 25 of January, 2015, states that "According to a 2013 Australian study that looked at more than 680,000 people who had CT scans as children compared to some 10 million people who did not have them done as children. It was shown that children who had a computed tomography scan done before the age of 5 had a 35 percent spike of cancer risk, which shows that younger bodies are at more of a risk to radiation," [1]. According to a study in the Archives of International Medicine in 2016, "CT scans alone will cause nearly 30,000 unnecessary cases (about 2 percent of cancer cases), which leads to 14,500 deaths," (Mercola). There are four main reasons as to why x-rays in general are so damaging to your health. According to Mercola, "X-rays cause chromosomal mutations that are often irreparable, they cause DNA changes that usually lead to cancer, they cause DNA damage in your arteries, which can lead to cardiovascular disease, and they often result in misdiagnosis and false positives which increase they likelihood of follow up tests-- which further increases your body's exposure to radiation," (Mercola).

Reasons for Overuse of Scanning

Some reasons for overexposure to the radiation through scanning can be due to uninformed doctors and patients, and patient demand. It is understandable that when someone's daughter, son, husband, wife, friend etc. is in pain that everyone involved wants to find out what's wrong and causing the pain, but it isn't always the wisest to want to take several x-rays and/or CT scans. Since there are no federal limits for CT imaging, many physicians and doctors can use this quick method to figure out their patients problem and diagnose to be able to take the next step and take action. Other reasons for over scanning includes physicians or doctors' fear of being sued for not finding something soon enough, patients such as former smokers looking for lung cancer etc. These machines can be very beneficial to those who need it but they need to be used sparingly, as to not risk any damage to the patient.

I plan on contributing the definition of a CT scan and how radiation may be harmfulMtoepfer9 (talk) 14:48, 13 April 2017 (UTC).Mtoepfer9 (talk) 14:23, 13 April 2017 (UTC)

About CT Scans. American College of Radiology Imaging Network, 2017. www.acrin.org/patients/aboutimagingexamsandagents/aboutctscans.aspx. Accessed 16 Apr. 2017.

"The Surprising Dangers of CT Scans and X-Rays." Consumer Reports, 2006-2017. www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/01/the-surprising-dangers-of-ct-sans-and-x-rays/index.htm. Accessed 16 Apr. 2017.

Mercola, Dr. Joseph. "Nearly 30,000 Americans Get Cancer from This One Procedure EVERY Year: Will you?" Mercola, 25 Sept. 2010. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/09/25/high-ct-scan-radiation-is-deadly.aspx. Accessed 17 Apr. 2017. not a reliable source.