In the article, we will figure out whether it is possible to do fluorography during menstruation. Russia is a country with a rather unfavorable situation for such a disease as tuberculosis, so every adult is recommended to undergo a special examination once a year, which can detect this disease in the initial stages. This is the best way of prevention, which has been proven effective for many years. However, for women who were given a referral for such a study, the following question often arises: “Is it possible to do fluorography during menstruation?”
What is this?
Why do we need fluorography? This is a kind of X-ray examination, the meaning of which is to photograph the organs and tissues of the human body using X-rays from a special screen, followed by digitization orfixing on film and displaying the resulting image on the monitor. As a rule, research is used to diagnose certain pathologies of the lungs, although it was previously practiced in other medical fields, for example, in gastroenterology.
How many times a year can I do a fluorography? Ideally, not more often, but not less than once every 12 months. Depending on the equipment present in the medical institution, people can undergo digital or film fluorography. The film method is the most common. With it, X-ray radiation passes through the desired part of the patient's body (thorax) and enters the film. The technique provides for a fairly high, compared with the digital method, radiation exposure - 0.2-0.5 mSV, and the quality of the film image is below average.
The digital version of the study is more modern and works like a camera. The X-ray beam passes through the human body and hits a special matrix, after which it is digitized, and the image is displayed on the monitor. The main advantage of this method is a small radiation exposure, which allows women during menstruation and even children to conduct this study.
Why do we need fluorography? A fluorographic study helps to identify the presence of a wide variety of pathological processes in the lungs, including tuberculosis, pneumonia, and malignant neoplasms. And if pneumonia is accompanied by cough and fever, oncological diseases and tuberculosis often do not make themselves felt for a long period without causing pathologicalsymptoms. Here fluorography comes to the aid of specialists.
Advantages over x-rays
Fluorography is a study that is related to x-rays, but is accompanied by a much lower proportion of radiation. The study is carried out once a year during scheduled medical examinations - this can be done at any public clinic or private institution that has the necessary technical equipment.
How to prepare for fluorography?
No additional preparation is required for fluorography: just come to the fluorography room, where the doctor will ask you to remove clothes and jewelry above the waist (women who have long hair are advised to remove them from their shoulders). After that, the person approaches the device, takes a special position: the chin is on the stand, the hands should be rested on the hips, the chest should be pressed against the screen, the elbows should be spread wide to the sides.
Not everyone knows how to undergo a fluorography. The specialist leaves the office and gives a signal when the patient needs to hold his breath. Before this, as a rule, short instructions are given, so the person knows exactly what is happening to him and how to behave. Then the patient holds his breath for a few seconds, during which the picture is taken. The entire medical procedure takes no more than five minutes. When it is over, you can leave the office, and at the appointed time, all that remains is to come for the results.
Is fluorography harmful to he alth - this is a frequent question.
Fluorography during menstruation
Menstruation itself does not prevent women from undergoing fluorographic examinations: the proportion of radiation that the patient will receive in the process is too negligible. However, experts recommend undergoing fluorography in the first half of the menstrual cycle, when the spotting has already stopped, but the period of ovulation has not yet arrived. This is due to two reasons:
- Possible pregnancy. If you undergo a fluorographic examination in the second half of the monthly cycle, when ovulation has already passed, there is no guarantee that an embryo does not develop in the woman's uterus. And in the first trimester, even the lowest doses of radiation treatment can adversely affect the development of the fetus and lead to the development of serious anomalies or diseases. If during fluorography the patient has menstruation, this is not a guarantee of the absence of pregnancy, since there are many cases when the first menstruation during pregnancy passes as usual.
- General weakness. Even if the patient easily tolerates menstruation, there is a chance that fluorography will negatively affect her and provoke unpleasant symptoms that are usually not observed: increased menstrual bleeding, headache, irritability, abdominal pain, weakness, dizziness, fainting. This is due to the effect that radiation has on the composition of human blood.
So, is it possible to do fluorography during menstruation? If a woman uses contraceptives, pregnancy is notis going and has no problems with the hormonal, reproductive and circulatory systems of the body, she may well undergo the procedure during menstruation.
Contraindications
How many times a year you can do fluorography, we told. Are there any contraindications for this procedure?
If we talk about he althy women, then there is no need to worry about menstruation during fluorography. However, not all patients are he althy, so not every such study is prescribed for menstruation. There are a number of cases in which menstruation is a contraindication to fluorography.
Endometrial diseases
The main thing in this case is endometrial disease of any nature. With such pathologies, radiation adversely affects the process of rejection of this layer of the uterus during menstruation, as a result of which some serious problems may arise.
Pregnant women and children
Another important contraindication to fluorography is pregnancy and children under 15 years of age. Relative limitations include severe dyspnea and the inability of the patient to stand upright, as well as claustrophobia. At what age is fluorography prescribed? For a teenage girl less than fifteen years old, fluorography during menstruation is a bad decision, and this is due to several reasons:
- Hormonal instability. The body at this age is still being formed. Menstruationgirls passes without any system, there is a significant imbalance of hormonal levels. An additional load in the form of fluorography can interfere with the formation of the reproductive system and significantly disrupt the hormonal balance.
- Stressful condition. Even a minor medical procedure can cause stress for a teenager: the general atmosphere of the medical institution, as well as the need to wait in line, can negatively affect the girl and provoke violations.
If, for certain reasons, a teenager is still assigned to conduct this study, as a rule, more gentle methods are used that do not affect the body.
Fluorography when planning pregnancy
An egg suitable for fertilization in the future menstrual cycle moves from the ovaries to the uterine cavity at the end of menstruation. If a fluorography is done at this time, there is a possibility that this procedure will affect the structure of the egg, make it infertile, or be reflected in abnormalities during the further development of the fetus. Ideally, if a patient plans to conceive in the near future, she should refrain from undergoing such a medical examination for at least six months before the intended pregnancy.
Fluorography after childbirth
Women in the postpartum period, this procedure during menstruation is absolutely contraindicated for several reasons:
- Restoration of hormonal levels. The fact that a woman has her period after childbirth,this is an obvious sign: the recovery processes are going correctly and the hormonal system is returning to normal. At this time, any interference, including radiation, can upset this balance.
- Stress. During pregnancy and childbirth, the female body has experienced great stress, which affected all systems. Therefore, it will take some time to recover, so it is better to refrain from medical examinations for six months, which may affect this important process.
When lactating
In addition, if a woman is lactating, this is also a reason to refuse to undergo fluorography. Such a study may affect the composition of mother's milk.
Any violation of the menstrual cycle and the functioning of the reproductive system is a reason to play it safe. Unless, of course, there is no need to urgently make such a diagnosis.
We continue to consider the pros and cons of fluorography during menstruation.
Indications for research during menstruation
Fluorography is prescribed, despite menstruation, in the following situations:
- If the patient is suspected of developing pulmonary tuberculosis, any other serious pulmonary pathology or neoplasm. In such cases, the sooner the fluorography result is obtained, the sooner therapeutic measures will begin.
- A woman had contact with a man who has tuberculosis. If that person has an accurate diagnosis, infection is suspectedis natural. Fluorography is carried out along with special laboratory tests.
- The patient is constantly in contact with people infected with tuberculosis, for example, when a loved one she cares for is sick. In this case, the best method of prevention is the constant monitoring of the condition of the lungs.
- In the area where the patient lives, there is an outbreak of tuberculosis - then the phthisiatrician or therapist insists on a mandatory examination of the entire population and the woman's menstruation is not a reason to cancel such an examination.
We examined whether it is possible to do fluorography during menstruation.
