Are MRI and CT Scans Safe?

Doctors use MRI & CT scans for capturing different images of the body. The primary difference between these two is Magnetic Resonance Image, or MRI, uses radio waves, whereas CT scans use X-rays. While both are comparatively safer to use and include lower risks, there are certain situations where people have to select one over the other. In this article, we will be sharing what CT scans and MRI are, how safe they are, and include comparatively lower risks.

Definition of MRI

Pathologists implement magnets and radio waves to view different objects inside the body in this process. MRI is used to diagnose the joints, wrists, breasts, blood vessels, brains, spine, ankles, and heart. A continuous radio frequency and magnetic field penetrates the fat and water molecules and reaches the targeted organs. Radio waves then get transmitted inside the receiver in the machine. It gets translated to the body image to diagnose the issues. Since MRI is a loud machine, the best MRI labs in Gurgaon offer headphones or earplugs to the patient during the diagnosis. 

Definition of Computed Tomography or CT scans

CT scan involves X-ray through a large machine and is also known as CAT scans. It is used to detect problems, like tumors, internal bleeding, bone fracture, and monitoring of cancer. You have to lie down on a table for a CT scan, which will then move inside the scanning machine to get your cross-sectional body pictures. 

Are MRI and CT scans Safe?

Both CT scans and MRI can view the internal portion of the human body with ease. Both are exceptionally safe processes for the patients. However, they might impose slight risks on some people. During CT scans, patients receive a tiny amount of radiation. However, the top MRI & CT Scan center in India do not consider it harmful. 

CT scans implement ionizing radiation, which can affect the biological tissues. According to the report of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, this small radiation amount cannot be responsible for any threat, like cancer. Since x-rays and CT scans are unsafe for pregnant women, doctors recommend ultrasound for those patients. They also avoid the MRI scan in the first trimester as an additional precaution. 

MRI scans do not implement radiation, but people should tell the technicians if they have any medical implantations like a cochlear implant, pacemaker, or an insulin pump. People suffering from claustrophobia might find MRI scanners impossible to tolerate. Since certain types of dye are used in CT and MRI scans, people might be allergic to these dyes and suffer from skin problems later.

Summing it up 

Both MRI and CT scans are completely safe and involve no or minimal risks. Both procedures offer significant information to the doctors to diagnose certain physical conditions of the human body. So, hopefully, by now, you have a clear idea of how both the processes differ from each other and how safe they are. 

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