Saturday, October 23, 2010

CT Scans & Mammograms' Danger !


CT SCANS yield higher-resolution images than regular medical X-rays. Unfortunately, they also expose the patient to hundreds and sometimes thousands of times the amount of radiation. The routine use of CT scans (computed tomography) has vastly increased in the past 25 years even with CT absurdly being promoted to healthy people to take "whole body" scans. This means that many more are facing horrific deaths from CT scan-induced cancers.

According to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine (USA) last year, CT scans alone were the cause of 2% of cancer cases world-wide. Despite the clear evidence that radiation is damaging your body, our current medical system continues to promote the careless and excessive use of radiation-based diagnostic scans. One CT scan is 100 times more dangerous to the cells in your organs, brain and glands than a chest X-ray.

But wait there's more......bad news! While 2% doesn't seem like a large number now, the New England Journal of Medicine study estimated that overuse of CT scans may cause up to 100 times more deaths over next 25 years. While high-tech imaging can be beneficial in certain cases, it must be used SPARINGLY because it exposes your body to such high amounts of radiation. When the diagnostic procedure causes the disease you are trying to avoid, perhaps you should reconsider the procedure and look at other healthier diagnostic options. Oftentimes a CT scan can be substituted with an MRI or an ultrasound, both of which have fewer harmful side effects while still producing the necessary information.

MAMMOGRAMS deliver 100 times more radiation than a chest X-ray! Some women can receive as much radiation exposure (5 rads) from routine mammograms as a Japanese woman one mile from the epicenter of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It is another example of overused, risky imaging technology. Now...a new study suggests that increased awareness and improved treatments rather than mammograms are the main force in reducing the breast cancer rate.

Not only does the exam expose you to potentially dangerous amounts of radiation, it also compresses your breasts tightly. This and the high dosage can actually stimulate and spread dangerous cancer cells should they already be in residence. Radiological experts are now saying that the dose could easily be reduced by half without any serious reduction in diagnostic clarity. This reduction and the recent calls for women under 50 to forgo routine screening mammography are music to my ears.. These are small steps in the right direction; however there is a far better option. I highly recommend thermography, particularly for breast screening.

The Way I See It....thermographic screening is entirely safe, non-invasive and brilliantly simple. This technology measures the radiation of infrared heat from your body and translates the information into anatomical images. There is no pressure or compression of yours breasts and no radiation. Perhaps best of all, this imaging system can detect signs of breast cancer up to 10 years before either a mammogram or physical exam.

If your doctor or health specialist recommends a CT scan or mammogram as a screening tool or to diagnose a physical complaint, I strongly encourage you to explore all your options before agreeing to being radiated. Don't trade your good health or a minor complaint for an increased risk of x-ray-induced cancer in the future.

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