United States: US researchers warn about potential dangers that exist in CT scan procedures, which officials use to obtain detailed body images for medical diagnoses.
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CT or CAT technology produces three-dimensional patient images by using X-ray technology. The machine consists of a large cylindrical shape.
The scanner moves patients positioned on a table into its chamber while X-ray tools within the machine produce numerous images of their bodies.
The scan method in CT technology differs from MRI, which uses identical equipment for patient examinations. The imaging process with MRI scanners depends on powerful magnets that transmit radio waves throughout the body.
CT Scans Under Scrutiny
The diagnostic methods produce detailed images of human anatomy. Several dangers are associated with X-ray exposure.
According to Rebecca Smith-Bindman, a radiologist from the University of California San Francisco, who was a lead researcher on the study, “CT can save lives, but its potential harms are often overlooked,” dw.com reported.
The electromagnetic spectrum is segmented into distinct sections that differ in length. The central position of the visible spectrum exhibits the light that animals, including humans, can detect, which ranges from red through orange to yellow and green, followed by blue, then indigo, and ending at violet.
Both electromagnetic waves exist beyond the visible spectrum range. The spectrum contains low-frequency radiation together with long-wavelength emission.
For this spectrum, the lowest frequencies belong to radio waves, which advance through microwaves to infrared waves before dissipating.
This part of the spectrum contains less energy than visible light. Radio waves are used by MRI.
High-frequency short-wavelength radiation contains ultraviolet (UV), X-rays, and gamma rays as its members.
From Diagnosis to Danger
Such electromagnetic waves deliver higher energy than visible light. High-frequency radiation, known as “ionizing” radiation, presents healthcare risks to human beings.
The process of transferring electrons from atoms occurs when ionizing radiation exists. The energy level of this radiation exceeds the ability to damage tissue molecules in biological matter.
Molecular damage from such radiation events in human beings might produce different medical conditions, including cancer. People commonly associate health hazards with UV radiations that come from sun exposure.