Medical imaging procedures include X-rays, MRIs, CAT-scans and more. Here’s why you might need to undergo one:
Determine cause of symptoms
These tests are typically regarded as diagnostic tools and allow doctors to see what’s happening inside your body. These clear images help doctors figure out what parts or sections of your body suffer from infections and conditions.
Eliminate other causes
Since these procedures provide doctors with a way to view your organs and systems, these are also ideal for eliminating a lot of possible causes for the disease. The fewer those possible causes are, the better the chances of your doctor finding the right treatment as soon as possible.
Determine affected areas
These tests help reveal affected areas in the body. It also makes it easy for doctors to find the tumor or lump if they’re dealing with a cancer case, says the American Cancer Society (ACS). Sometimes, the placement of a tumor can make it difficult in extreme cases to find the telltale lump or mass. With imaging exams, however, doctors can easily can get that done.
Watch out for improvements
These tests are also used by doctors to monitor any signs of improvement. After administering a drug or starting a patient on a particular treatment, doctors can use imaging tests to determine if the treatment was effective or not. Will it need to be adjusted or was the body completely unresponsive? This can help your doctors arrive at the right conclusions.
Check the disease
These imaging exams are also used to check on much the disease has progress. Has the tumor shrunk or not? Did it get bigger or just stayed the same? Doctors can use the data they’ve gleaned from these tests to plan better treatments, check on the status of their patients and their treatments and monitor the progress or regression of a disease.
