Myths and Facts about X-rays and other Scans
More people visit their specialist's office to request a 'scan'. Here are a few myths and facts about the different types of scans available, when they are helpful and why you don't generally require one! Myth: All scans are x-rays Plain X-rays and CT scans use X-beam radiation while different scans don't. An X-ray gives you one picture, for example of your chest or a limb. A CT scan then again takes many X-rays which are prepared by a PC to give different photos of the body. CT scan give far more detailed views, yet they also expose you to much more radiation. This radiation portion relies upon which portion of the body is being scanned. For example, a CT scan of the chest exposes you to 70 times more radiation than normal chest X-ray. Other kinds of scans, such as ultrasound and MRI scans, don’t use X-rays. Ultrasound scans make use of sound waves and MRI scans use magnets. ...