We can find certain conditions and injuries through the naked eye, but few require an in-depth look. Healthcare providers will recommend CT or MRI scans when they suspect conditions like internal bleeding, muscle damage, or tumors. MRI and CT scans are used to look at internal parts of your body, also they work differently in different parts of the body. Further, in this blog, let’s see the difference between CT and MRI scans.
What are CT and MRI scans?
Different technologies are used in CT scan and MRI scan to identify what’s happening inside your body. Also, you need to understand that this is not a treatment, but an imaging technology. These techniques help your doctor diagnose your condition, develop a treatment plan, and monitor changes in your body.
Also, both of these methods will assist your doctor to see your internal body structures. But saying which test better suits you is determined by factors such as what your doctor is looking for and your health status. So reach out to the best ct scan centre in Coimbatore, to get your CT and MRI scans done.
– CT scans:
Computed tomography scan is the actual term, but we often call it a CT scan, and even a few people call it a CAT scan. CT scan is nothing but a 3D X-ray machine. In a CT scan, X-rays will be used, which shoot through the patient to a detector that will spin around the patient. Further, it captures hundreds of images and the computer puts the images together to generate a 3D picture of the patient. You can slice or dice all those images to get clear views inside the body.
Simply, a traditional X-ray will give your provider a look at the area that was captured, it is a static one. But this CT scan gives you images like a bird’s eye view of the area that was imaged. You can see the outer layer of the area, or zoom inside the part of the body that was captured. Simply, the CT and MRI scan cost are affordable and anyone can undergo these scans at any time.
What does a CT scan feel like?
CT scan is a rapid and painless process. During the procedure, you will lie on the table and gradually move through a donut-shaped scanner. In case your healthcare provider is looking for a deeper diagnosis, you need to have an IV injection of a contrast dye. But all the scans will be taken within a minute.
What CT scan is used for?
As we mentioned above, a CT scan uses an X-ray so it shows all the things that an X-ray shows but with more precision. Simply, X-rays will show only the area that is being imaged, but a CT scan gives a more complete, in-depth image.
Using CT scans, you can look at:
- Bones
- Blood
- Organs Cancer stages
- Lungs
- Stones
- Abdominal emergencies
CT scans are highly recommended when your doctor wants to look at stones or bones like gallstones and kidney stones. Healthcare professionals pervasively use CT scans to plan surgeries, for instance, the orthopedic surgeon needs a 3D image of a bone before repairing a complex fracture. Comparatively, CT scans are good at seeing things like lungs, blood, and bowels.
What is an MRI?
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI scan) uses magnets and radio waves to create images inside your body. Our body contains a lot of water, or H2O, in which H stands for hydrogen. Hydrogen contains protons. Those protons spin around in all directions. Whenever they encounter a magnet, such as an MRI machine, those protons get pulled by the magnet and begin to line up.
The radio waves will push the protons and they will spin automatically. Whenever the radio waves turn off, then protons will get back to line up with the magnets, when they get back in line, the signals will get off. Those signals will help you get an image of your inner body through the MRI machine.
How does MRI feel like?
MRI is a tube-shaped machine, the entire procedure will take 30 to 50 minutes, and you will be lying down throughout the procedure. The machine usually makes more sound, and you can benefit by wearing earplugs, or you can use headphones to listen to music during the scan. IV contrast dyes will be used only when your doctor is looking for it.
What MRI is used for?
MRIs greatly help in differentiating tissues. For instance, doctors may use full-body CT scans to find tumors. For better diagnosis, at times doctors will recommend an MRI scan to find any masses found in the CT. Further, nerve and joint damage can be diagnosed with MRIs. However, MRIs are not good at diagnosing certain things such as blood, bones, and bowels. Remember that MRIs partially use magnets which affect the hydrogen in water in your body. So, dense ones such as kidney stones, and bones, don’t show up properly. Also, things with air won’t appear properly, like lungs. So reach out to the radiologist in Coimbatore to take MRI scans promptly, which will help your doctor in planning your treatment options.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, we can say that either CT or MRI may be better, based on what you are looking for and how you can tolerate each. There is a pervasive thought that always one is better than another, but it really depends on what your doctor is recommending. Your doctor may recommend CT or MRI, the actual goal is to see what’s happening in your body to get you the best treatment.
