Is there a doctor in the house

[doodlebug]

Anyone on Acorn work in the medical industry ?

I have got my 2nd CT scan tommorow, last time I didn't know what I was doing so just went along with it but now I have read loads on it and no one last time or this time told me they put actual radiation in to your body, I didn't even get told about any radiation.

I now read that patients are at risk of cancer at the rate of 1 in 80 Article and people under the age of 40 are most at risk ( I am 32 ) apparently each scan is the equivelant of 3 years natural exposure or upto the same amount of radiation caused by approx 442 chest x-rays.

I have an issue with my arteries and could be at risk of a heart attack so need the scan but at the same time I risk cancer, wow what a choice

Anyone know about these things, I have Googled it loads but need as much insight as possible, this is my 2nd time and might not go

I will be the next RIP thread at this rate, RIP Devolution and Jeewhiz

ps. If you wonder if I am joking ? I am not 100%

[disruptive]

I've had plenty of training in radiation...although my medical radiation training was a few years ago.

The one aspect I can tell you from my experience is that you will simply drive yourself nuts if you try to quantify the statistics in terms of danger or risk to yourself. There is no procedure known to man which I can think of that has zero risk. Now I know the risks are purported to be a bit higher in this case or unknown. To my knowledge there is only one study.

Your age suggests you will have been passive smoking for perhaps a good 5-10 years before the smoking ban, in pubs and bars. I know no new risk is good, but try to put things in perspective with regard to these tests. If they need to be done, then best to do it, but do chat with the consultant first about your concerns and see if there is anyway around it first? You might need to push hard as often another route may be more expensive.

Try to get some perspective on the risk in terms of your own past life and other events that you have no control over: mobile phone use, particulates, smoking, drinking etc.

We poor humans are terrible at accessing risk, that doesn't mean we should not try though. Good luck.

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This is not medical advice and nor should be construed as such without taking professional medical advice.

[doodlebug]

Thanks mate and don't worry I won't try to sue you

My instincts are telling me to go and my common sense is saying don't

Probably will though, this health issue I have makes me limited, I use to be a martial arts fanatic but now do nothing

I need to sort my issue, they think it's coronary heart disease, I will update the thread tommorow to say if I went but reckon I will, just speaking to my family first.

[BREWSTERS]

Not sure if it's the same type of scan to your, but my aunt had a scan to test her bone density, and they didn't give her any goggles. She's just had an eye op last week and they said that the fluid at the back of her eye was 'cooked' for want of a better word.

Make sure they give you goggles.

BTW, I have no medical training whatsoever.

[monaghan]

Something like a CT scan is not a cheap option (and in our hospital was a long waiting list last year when they did me), so they won't be sending you for one if there was an alternative.

A small chance of cancer or potential heart attack, I know which I'd choose.

[doodlebug]

Originally Posted by monaghan

Something like a CT scan is not a cheap option (and in our hospital was a long waiting list last year when they did me), so they won't be sending you for one if there was an alternative.

A small chance of cancer or potential heart attack, I know which I'd choose.

Yeah not the best choice but seems I will be going for it anyway but I will definately not be going for a 3rd one, no chance

[diablo]

When I clicked on your link and it took me to a Daily Mail article . . .

Reading between the lines and the constant use of words like "may" and "could" means that the risks might not be that high at all. Remember, the risk of you getting cancer in your lifetime is 1 in 4 anyway.

I have found the Health Protection Agency's response to the American study:

http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/Radiati.../medicCTscans/

It might put it in better perspective as they do not have newspapers to sell.

Like monaghan says, they don't do CT scans for the fun of it. They are very expensive. Each patient will be individually assessed and the risks from any form of exposure to radiation will have been considered.

Your choice, but I wouldn't let an article in a newspaper decide your future.

[deliajen]

i had a CT scan late last year ,very weird feeling they put me in the machine and then i had to wait 25 minutes whilst they had a trained Doctor on call because the Nurse couldn't administer the drugs....they injected me with some fluid to make your vains show up,the drugs itself gives you a pressure feeling in your bottom but soon passes...

sitting at your PC all day is bad for you,it has already had me in hospital once and i have had so much trouble since....if you want my advice go and have it done ,sorting out heart disease now would be a good thing

Regards

Mark

[doodlebug]

Diablo > I've read loads of sites but that one was the one with more scary points I guess but was information based on an American medical study, it was the sun saying this then I would dismiss it but the mail isn't so OTT.

Deliajen > I remember the last one made feel all warm, when I got out of hospital some stupid woman on the train station pointed at my arm and started shouting smackhead !, if she had any knowledge on drug abusers then she would know that a smackhead would have more than one tract mark on his arm duh

[newpbc]

Go for the scan mate don't take any chances with your heart its an instant killer.
Cancers no longer the big killer it once was and there are new more powerful treatments being released all the time.
Chances are even if you were unlucky enough to get a cancer as a direct result of the scan it would take years to develop into something you needed to worry about by which time there will be even better treatments available