Since CT scans became more common as a form of diagnostic imaging, patients have wondered whether CT scans might be required for them in the near future. Nowadays, CT scans are used regularly, so many people end up worried that they might need one yet don’t know why. Here are 5 reasons why a person may need a CT scan. Many of which you wouldn’t even think necessarily require CT imaging.
To Check Your Blood Vessels
If you’re having a hard time getting the right diagnosis, your symptoms may have something to do with your blood vessels. A CT scan can help determine if you have an aneurysm. This bulge in a blood vessel can cause pain or rupture, leading to internal bleeding. Your doctor probably won’t order this test until they’ve considered other possibilities first, but this is the only way to know what’s going on for some mysteries.
Examine a Soft Tissue
Sometimes, injuries that appear only to involve soft tissue can be more serious than they look at first glance. This is when a CT scan is helpful. It can reveal what an X-ray cannot. A CT scan can detect brain bleeds or damage to the spinal cord through HA referral cases, which could have serious consequences if left untreated. CT scans are also useful for determining the extent of internal bleeding after an injury and diagnosing conditions or diseases where visual evidence is required.
Access a Tumor
If you have a tumor, your doctor may want to get more information before moving to treatment. Maybe the tumor is in an unusual location, or its size or shape makes it hard to assess with an MRI. Or perhaps your tumor is in a part of your body that’s difficult to get a good view of with an MRI. A CT scan can give your doctor a more detailed look at the tumor to see if it’s likely to be cancerous and, if so, whether it could have spread.
Diagnosing Other Abnormalities
A CT scan may be ordered through HA referral cases when an X-ray is inconclusive or there are signs of other abnormalities such as tumors or infections. It can be used to diagnose issues with internal organs, bones, soft tissue, blood vessels, and other body areas, including those hard to reach with other imaging tests. A CT scan is especially helpful if you’ve had abdominal pain for an extended period and your doctor needs more information to make a diagnosis.
Guiding Cancer Treatment
In the early stages of cancer, a CT scan can provide valuable information about the size of the tumor and exactly where it’s located. This helps doctors determine the best treatment options for each patient and provides information on tracking the disease’s progression over time. A CT scan is also used during radiation therapy to ensure that the radiation beam is hitting its target and not affecting nearby tissue.
Bottom Line
Hopefully, one of these reasons resonated with you and inspired you to learn more about CT scans. Given their growing popularity, some people may be surprised to hear that a CT scan can also be safely administered to children as young as 2 years old through the HA referral cases program. And given their myriad benefits, CT scans are likely to become a more standard part of general wellness evaluations in the years to come.