![]() If you recall from the chart, a lower GI x-ray resulted in an exposure of 8mSv. Effects of x-ray radiation on your healthĪccording to the Mayo Clinic, radiation-induced health risks occur mostly at exposure levels of above 100mSv - levels seen after nuclear meltdowns and atomic bombs. In fact, you would need about 8,000 hand and foot x-rays to achieve the same radiation dosage as one lower GI x-ray. The chart also lists how long you would have to be exposed to natural background radiation to receive the same effective radiation dose.Ĭomparable dosage of natural background radiationĪ hand or foot x-ray is relatively harmless compared to a lower GI x-ray, done with a barium enema. In the chart below, you can compare different x-ray types and their effective radiation dose. A dental x-ray, for example, will expose you to more radiation than a chest x-ray. The amount of ionizing radiation you’re exposed to from an x-ray depends on the area of the body being x-rayed. When looking at x-ray radiation doses, it can be helpful to compare them to the equivalent amount of natural background radiation for perspective. Those living at higher altitudes and frequent flyers have slightly higher average doses. It’s estimated that the biggest naturally occurring source of ionizing radiation for many Americans is radon, a radioactive element present in the basements of some homes.Ī person’s average effective radiation dose from natural sources is somewhere around 3mSv per year. It’s also worth noting that we are exposed to some degree of ionizing radiation naturally, from the sun, cosmic rays, and other sources. For now, though, all you really need to know is that x-ray radiation is different from the EMF radiation we typically talk about. To learn more about these different types of radiation, see our in-depth guide to EMF radiation. When you hear about atom bombs, nuclear energy, x-rays, and ultraviolet light, you are hearing about different forms of ionizing radiation. Non-ionizing radiation can still be dangerous, but it lacks that cell-splitting energy. Ionizing radiation has enough energy to split a cell, which can ultimately lead to DNA damage and the creation of free radicals. So what does that mean for your health? Non-ionizing vs ionizing radiationįirst, let’s briefly talk about the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. For all their benefits, however, it’s worth noting that x-rays are also a form of ionizing radiation. They can reveal a great deal of important information, as they allow medical professionals to catch a glimpse of our insides, and to diagnose broken bones and even cancerous masses. ![]() X-rays are used to take images of a patient’s bone and tissue. ![]() So are x-rays really safe? How much radiation are you exposed to during a single imaging procedure? X-ray radiation And radiation exposure can lead to a number of health issues. As you may know, however, x-rays are a form of radiation. With numbers like that, it’s no wonder x-rays are used so heavily in the medical profession. The World Health Organization estimates x-rays can help diagnose up to 80% of health conditions.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |