Blog von Stoner0

Three decades ago x-rays were the only way to see inside the body and find out what was going on. Nowadays there are many other forms of medical imaging, but people can be concerned about their safety and if there are any harmful side effects.

Every day we are exposed to natural radiation. This may be the food we eat, the air we breathe, from the ground and the building materials around us.

Each medical x-ray or nuclear medicine examination adds to this and the dose depends on the type of examination. The most common (and small dose) x-ray examinations are those of the teeth, chest and limbs.

Examinations that involve x-ray pictures and fluoroscopy such as barium meals or barium enemas and CT scans involve higher doses but are only a fraction of our lifetime dose from natural radiation.

Effects of radiation

Re-assuringly radiation doses from x-ray examinations are extremely low to produce instant harmful effects such as skin burns or radiation sickness. The only effect possible at these low doses may be a slight increase in the chance that cancer (radiation induced)can occur many years...