A Information to Medical Imaging for Girls

X-ray

X-rays use radiation to rapidly and painlessly create pictures of buildings inside your physique. They’re generally used to diagnose bone issues, breast most cancers and infections.

• One kind of X-ray known as a bone density take a look at (DEXA scan) measures the mineral content material of your bones to see how sturdy they’re. It’s used to examine for low bone mass (osteopenia) and weak, brittle bones (osteoporosis).

• One other kind of X-ray, a mammogram, is breast imaging that’s used to detect breast most cancers.
  • Routine mammograms carried out to examine for breast most cancers are known as screening mammograms.
  • Mammograms carried out as a result of a girl is exhibiting indicators of breast most cancers, or after suspicious outcomes on a screening mammogram, are known as diagnostic mammograms.

What to anticipate:

Relying on the kind of X-ray, you’ll be requested to lie down or stand nonetheless, and probably change positions, whereas the machine takes the pictures. You have to be completed in 10 to fifteen minutes.

Unsure what to anticipate throughout your first mammogram? Watch “Your First Mammogram: A Step-by-Step Information” >>

Suggestions and methods:

• Put on unfastened clothes, and don’t put on something with buckles, buttons or zippers. Metallic can intrude with the take a look at outcomes.

• Don’t schedule a mammogram in the course of the week earlier than your interval. It may be more durable to get a superb image in case your breasts are swollen, and your breasts could also be extra delicate right now.

• When moving into for a mammogram, don’t put on deodorant, antiperspirant, powders, lotions or fragrance beneath your arms or round your breasts as a result of they might present up as white spots on the X-ray.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

MRIs use magnetic waves to create detailed pictures of organs and tissue. They can be utilized to diagnose stroke and blood vessel points, spinal wire issues, tumors, a number of sclerosis (MS), aneurysms, joint accidents, and extra.

What to anticipate:

You’ll be requested to take away all of your garments and placed on a hospital robe. Then, you’ll lie on a desk that slides right into a tunnel-like MRI machine, which can make loud noises because the magnets work. An MRI normally takes 45 minutes to an hour.

Suggestions and methods:

• Speak to your HCP about choices for serving to you calm down throughout your MRI, reminiscent of soothing music or a sleep masks.
• Some assessments require you to be confined in a small house. Speak to your HCP about your choices you probably have any issues about claustrophobia.
• You can not have any steel within the room with you, since an MRI is a huge magnet. Be sure you alert the technician you probably have any steel in your physique.

PET scan

PET scans present how organs and tissues are functioning. Present process a PET scan includes inhaling, swallowing or getting a shot of radioactive drugs (known as a tracer) so a machine can learn the radiation these tracers give off. PET scans are sometimes used to diagnose most cancers, coronary heart issues, Alzheimer’s illness, epilepsy and Parkinson’s illness.

What to anticipate:

After being given the tracer, you’ll lie on a desk that slides right into a donut-shaped scanner. Your entire course of will take round two hours.

Suggestions and methods:

• You received’t be allowed to eat or drink for six hours earlier than your PET scan (besides plain water with nothing added).

• When you’re breastfeeding, you will be unable to breastfeed for twenty-four hours after getting your tracer due to the publicity to radiation.

CT scan

Computerized tomography, or CT scans, use many X-ray pictures to create a cross-section of physique elements, reminiscent of bones, blood vessels and mushy tissues. CT scans are generally used to evaluate traumatic accidents, fractures, tumors, infections, coronary heart issues, most cancers and extra.

What to anticipate:

You’ll lie on a desk that slides right into a donut-shaped scanner, the place an X-ray tube will rotate round you whereas taking pictures. CT scans are normally fast, lasting solely about 10 to fifteen minutes.

Suggestions and methods:

• You’ll be able to most likely hold your personal garments on so long as you keep away from sporting clothes with steel zippers or snaps. (Go away jewellery at dwelling, together with steel piercings.)

• Keep away from consuming and consuming for 4 hours earlier than your CT scan.

Ultrasound

Ultrasounds use sound waves to seize pictures of buildings within the physique. Along with serving to monitor being pregnant, ultrasounds can be utilized to diagnose gallbladder illness, breast lumps, swollen joints, genital points and extra.

• One kind of ultrasound, a transvaginal ultrasound, includes inserting the imaging gadget (known as a transducer) into the vagina. This permits HCPs to see the organs inside your pelvic cavity, together with your cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.

• Throughout being pregnant, transvaginal ultrasounds are widespread in the course of the first trimester (the primary 12 weeks). After that, your HCP will seemingly need to do not less than one stomach ultrasound (additionally known as a sonogram) to examine your child’s growth.

What to anticipate:

An ultrasound technician will apply gel to your pores and skin, then transfer the transducer round to create pictures of what’s occurring inside your physique. The ultrasound will most likely final half-hour to at least one hour.

Suggestions and methods:

• For some kinds of ultrasounds, chances are you’ll be requested to not eat or drink earlier than the process.

• For an ultrasound throughout being pregnant, you’ll seemingly want to point out as much as your appointment with a full bladder to assist the technician get a greater view of your child.

When you have questions on healthcare imaging, speak to your HCP.