What is DXA scanning?
DXA Scanning is a type of medical test used to estimate the density of the patient's bone. Such tests are useful for observing the early decrease in bone density, which could be indicators of osteoporosis or other conditions. DXA scans are also called dexa scan or bone densitometry tests and are usually recommended for seniors because they are at higher risk of osteoporosis. In rare cases, such scanning can also be used as diagnostic tools for younger patients. During the scanning of DXA, two X -rays with different energy levels are focused on the area of concerns and the absorbent speed of X -rays is used to calculate the concentration of minerals, such as calcium in the bone. Bones with high concentration are considered dense, with low risk of breaking, while low density bones are porous and potentially threaten breakage. The test is usually very fast and absolutely painless and the amount of radiation involved is usually about 10.From what has experienced in the chest X -ray. After scanning, the radiologist will calculate the T-skore and Z-skore. T-skone compares the density of the bones of the patient with a healthy young adult to the same sex, while the Z-score takes into account factors such as age and ethnic identity.
scores with negative numbers suggest that the patient has a low density of bone minerals (BMD). However, scanning will not explain why the patient has a low BMD. In some cases, this may be caused by a condition such as osteoporosis, but it can also be caused by various health conditions. When DXA scan detects a low BMD, doctors usually recommend medical processing to determine the root cause of the problem.
DXA Scanning is recommended for all women over 65 years, as they are the greatest risk of osteoporosis. Such scanning may start in some patients for up to 60 years, depending on the personal opinion of the doctor. If your doctor recommends DXA to scan for you,You may want to be aware that many insurance companies do not cover these scanning for women who are before menopause.