CT Scans and Radiation

My husband and I both had a Virtual Physical at https://virtualphysical.com in Maryland! It was an eye opening experience!

We did the full body scan where they will scan you from head to pelvis; your heart, lungs, organs and we also did the virtual colonoscopy. We walked out with things we had no idea about. We wanted to have a baseline as we start a new "Healthier Lifestyle" chapter and goals going forward. The staff was great and very friendly which made things easier! The virtual colonoscopy was done with gas vs a camera. It was quick and the best thing was - only 20 minutes later we were able to see our bodies from the inside out! We looked through each organ as the technician  explained what we were seeing. We got our 3D Scans on DVD so we can look at it at home or show our doctors. We're very Grateful! So now we have our goals outlined as we start a healthier and more adventurous lifestyle!

As an EMF researcher, I wanted to know how much radiation  we exposed our bodies to and how can we adjust our diet to heal from it. 

I found a great website that outlines some comparable "Radiation" information and wanted to share: 
here is the reference link - https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=safety-xray

Effective radiation dose in adults

Here are some approximate comparisons of background radiation and effective radiation dose in adults for several radiology procedures described on this website.
(NOTE: * The effective doses are typical values for an average-sized adult. The actual dose can vary substantially, depending on a person's size as well as on differences in imaging practices. Please note that this chart attempts to simplify a very complex topic. If you have questions about radiation risk, talk to your medical physicist and/or radiologist and ask about the benefits and risks of radiologic care.)

ABDOMINAL REGION	Procedure	Approximate effective radiation dose	Comparable to natural background radiation for:
	Computed Tomography (CT)–Abdomen and Pelvis	10 mSv	3 years
	Computed Tomography (CT)–Abdomen and Pelvis, repeated with and without contrast material	20 mSv	7 years
	Computed Tomography (CT)–Colonography	6 mSv	2 years
	Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP)	3 mSv	1 year
	Barium Enema (Lower GI X-ray)	8 mSv	3 years
	Upper GI Study with Barium	6 mSv	2 years
BONE	Procedure	Approximate effective radiation dose	Comparable to natural background radiation for:
	Spine X-ray	1.5 mSv	6 months
	Extremity (hand, foot, etc.) X-ray	0.001 mSv	3 hours
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM	Procedure	Approximate effective radiation dose	Comparable to natural background radiation for:
	Computed Tomography (CT)–Head	2 mSv	8 months
	Computed Tomography (CT)–Head, repeated with and without contrast material	4 mSv	16 months
	Computed Tomography (CT)–Spine	6 mSv	2 years
CHEST	Procedure	Approximate effective radiation dose	Comparable to natural background radiation for:
	Computed Tomography (CT)–Chest	7 mSv	2 years
	Computed Tomography (CT)–Lung Cancer Screening	1.5 mSv	6 months
	Chest X-ray	0.1 mSv	10 days
DENTAL	Procedure	Approximate effective radiation dose	Comparable to natural background radiation for:
	Dental X-ray	0.005 mSv	1 day
HEART	Procedure	Approximate effective radiation dose	Comparable to natural background radiation for:
	Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA)	12 mSv	4 years
	Cardiac CT for Calcium Scoring	3 mSv	1 year
MEN'S IMAGING	Procedure	Approximate effective radiation dose	Comparable to natural background radiation for:
	Bone Densitometry (DEXA)	0.001 mSv	3 hours
NUCLEAR MEDICINE	Procedure	Approximate effective radiation dose	Comparable to natural background radiation for:
	Positron Emission Tomography–Computed Tomography (PET/CT)	25 mSv	8 years
WOMEN'S IMAGING	Procedure	Approximate effective radiation dose	Comparable to natural background radiation for:
	Bone Densitometry (DEXA)	0.001 mSv	3 hours
	Mammography	0.4 mSv	7 weeks

Risks vs Benefits

This is a personal decision you will need to make. I have had enough scans and tests the last 6 years that was a fraction of the cost of this procedure. Not only that, we got our results right after and the process was fast! Approximately 20-30 minutes if you count getting undressed etc. 

The Virtual Colonoscopy was done by inserting CO2 into the colon. It definitely was not comfortable but was done was fast and it was amazing what you could see. I didn't want to be knocked out or go through the camera if I didn't need to. The Virtual Colonoscopy does have some limitations such as polys smaller than 10mm won't be seen but I am ok with that. 

We got some interesting results which we can now follow up with our doctors on and get checked out. All in all, the staff were great and made the process pleasant. We are so glad and grateful, we could do this.