There are limitations of nuclear medicine as well and they should be known before any experiment or treatment is started. Nuclear medicine is very effective in diagnosing diseases and to get clear images of tissues and organs in the body. However, it has certain limitations.

The limitations of nuclear medicines can be described briefly. The process of nuclear medicine is time consuming. It will take 2 or 3 hours to complete the process. Sometimes it may take several hours for the radioactive substances to settle in the body. Again, taking images is also a time consuming process. This is a major disadvantage of nuclear medicine.

Though small quantity of radiation is inserted, it may produce some side effects like vomiting, chest pain, skin rash, itching and so on. In rare cases, radiation can induce cancer growth. However, the side effects are rare and can be curable with medication. Radiation will remain in the body temporarily. It will be passed out through urine or stool.

Some nuclear medicines scanning require fasting for hours. This is not good for diabetic patients. They should therefore consult the doctor before going for nuclear medicine.

Pregnant women should not take nuclear medicine. This may harm the baby. Similarly feeding mothers also should not use nuclear medicine.

Some people may face allergic reactions to radiation. But such cases are rare.

Avoid taking children to the radiation room to keep them away from unnecessary radiation exposure.

The radiation is given through intravenous needle in most of the cases. This will cause slight discomfort to the patient.

People who have gone through radiation are not supposed to travel for hours.

Some people require sedation via anesthesia to start the scanning process.

Though there are certain limitations in nuclear medicine, they are very few compared to the benefits. The problems can be controlled through various ways. Nowadays new equipments are invented to reduce the time taken for scanning. Likewise, side effects are controlled well with medication. Now usage of nuclear medicine is made safe even for highly allergic people. Therefore, nuclear medicine is the safest and most effective form of medicine.

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