What are CAT Scan Side Effects?

A form of medical diagnostic imaging that obtains very detailed graphical images, such as of internal organs and parts of your body, is called computed tomography (CT), or known commonly as computerized axial tomography (CAT scan).

• CAT Scan Diagnostic Machine

Uses

• Doctors use computed tomography to treat and diagnose cancer, detect tumors, as a precursor to radiation therapy and surgery, and to measure bone density.

Scan Types

• There are several types of computed tomography scans, including those that image your heart, pelvis, chest, head, body and brain.

Side Effects

• Having an allergic reaction to the contrast material, feeling flushed, a metallic taste in your mouth, bumps and hives are all possible side effects of a CAT scan.

Benefits

• There are tremendous benefits to computed tomography, such as: the scans are widely available and painless, and they usually involve a quick procedure that shows detailed images of bone and blood vessels and detect life-threatening conditions.

Caution

• Computed tomography scans expose patients to radiation, which increases their risk of cancer.