The process of identifying and diagnosing diseases is highly complex and difficult. Every human body is different and conditions can manifest in significantly different ways.
Doctors and medical professionals use a range of different tools to aid in their diagnostic procedures. These range from simple instruments like stethoscopes to complicated, sophisticated machinery such as CT scanners. Let’s take a look at what CT scanners are and what they are used for. Read on to find out more.
What Is A CT Scan?
A CT scan is a medical procedure that is used to aid in the diagnosis of different medical conditions. It works by combining X-ray imagining with advanced computer and software technology to generate detailed images of the inside of the body. Patients lie flat on their backs inside the CT scanner, which is a large tube shaped machine, while a ring rotates around them to scan the body and generate the images. So, now we know what a CT scanner does, what are they used for?
Heart Problems
If your doctor believes you are suffering from a heart condition such as coronary heart disease, congenital heart disease, blocked arteries, or damaged valves; they may book you in to undergo a cardiac CT scan. Also referred to as a coronary angiogram, a cardiac CT scan can generate high quality images of the heart and extended cardiovascular system. Doctors can then examine these images to make a definitive diagnosis.
Brain Scans
CT scans can also be used to generate images of the brain. This can be used if your doctor suspects you may be suffering from a brain tumour, bleeding on the brain, a brain infection, or from a stroke. What’s more, CT scans of the brain can also be used to monitor brain tumours after treatment has been administered and to track a patient’s progress.
Injuries And Trauma
CT scans aren’t just for diseases. They are also useful for assessing the extent of damage caused by injury or trauma. A CT scan may be used to look at broken bones, and can often pick up details that would otherwise be missed by traditional X-rays. Scans can also be used to examine soft tissue and muscles in the body to check for tears or other types of damage.
Guide For Surgery
Finally, CT scans have a use beyond just the diagnostic. They are extremely useful for aiding surgery and other invasive procedures such as a biopsy. CT scans can create high quality maps of the body which surgeons can then examine and identify the exact areas they need to focus on. This can help make subsequent surgical procedures far quicker and more efficient, improving success rates and reducing stress and trauma caused to the patient.
Conclusion
There can be numerous reasons why you may have been booked in for a CT scan. The technology is invaluable for medical professionals and is used to diagnose a wide range of different things, including heart problems, issues with the brain, and damage to bones and soft tissue from injuries or trauma.
