The hazards of chest X-ray
Release time : 12/13/2024 15:19:14
Radiation sources are ubiquitous in our daily lives, including radiography, which includes chest X-rays. So, is the harm from chest X-rays significant? Let's take a look at the risks of chest X-rays through Mama Encyclopedia
What are the hazards of chest X-ray? The bioeffects produced by X-rays when they pass through the body can be significant, and if too much radiation is absorbed, it may cause a radiological reaction or even lead to radioactive damage.
The radiation dose from chest X-rays is the highest among all forms of X-ray examination. Frequent chest X-rays can cause bodily damage and pose a significant risk of cancer due to the excessive amount of radiation injected into the body.
Therefore, when undergoing medical imaging examinations, if possible, it is advisable to prioritize non-radiation MRI. However, many diagnostic MRIs are not effective; usually, X-rays are taken first and then chest fluoroscopy is performed if necessary. Therefore, it is best to seek treatment at reputable hospitals and strictly follow the doctor's advice.
Additionally, there are standards for diagnosing and treating children and pregnant women that differ from those for adults.
The harm of chest X-ray in pregnant women. The early period of pregnancy, from 8 to 12 weeks, is the stage when embryonic cells differentiate into various organs, and the embryonic cells are very sensitive to various harmful factors.
If this period is exposed to larger doses of chest X-ray, it may cause miscarriage, premature birth, malformations in children, cerebral edema, microcephaly and other deformities, or even death.
After the 8th to 12th week of pregnancy, although the organs of the fetus have begun to form, they are still rapidly developing. Therefore, it should be avoided to expose to high dosage chest X-ray.
Because the X-rays can induce DNA damage, which is repaired by error in half an hour.
X-rays can cause the number of charges on membrane to decrease, the activity of enzyme to decrease and thus the ability of C3b receptor in membrane to clear pathogenic immune complex is reduced.
If exposure to chest X-rays occurs before the 4th week of pregnancy, it can also cause problems.
The X-ray irradiation of medical use is very little, but it can kill the reproductive cells in human body.
Therefore, to avoid the impact on future generations of X-rays for pregnant women who have had chest X-rays, it is safer if they become pregnant after four weeks.
The survey showed that there were many three color blindness in 1000 children, their mothers had received X-ray exposure.
Therefore, women should minimize the exposure to chest radiography as much as possible. Pregnant women are absolutely forbidden from undergoing chest radiography within the first four weeks of pregnancy.
Chest X-rays can pose significant risks to both the pregnant woman and her unborn child.
It is advisable not to use X-ray chest radiography for infants and young children.
Because infants and young children are more sensitive to X-rays, X-ray examinations should be avoided and reduced as much as possible. It is advisable to avoid entering the X-ray examination room with sick adults and avoid entering the radiology department as much as possible.
Fetuses are highly sensitive to X-rays, especially in early and mid pregnancy, and exposure to X-rays may cause or induce deformities.
X-ray examinations for pregnant women should be limited to the later stages of pregnancy.
When it is necessary to perform a pelvic examination or fetal photography, the exposure should be limited to 2-3 times to minimize the adverse effects on the fetus.
Is it appropriate for children to undergo chest X-rays? As a form of radioactive examination, chest X-rays emit significant radiation, posing risks to the thyroid and testes in children as well as adults.
However, side effects are inevitable during the patient's medical treatment.
Doctors make decisions after weighing the pros and cons, taking into account the child's condition to determine if a chest X-ray is necessary.
Doctors also agree that it's best to minimize the number of procedures.
Since children are in the growth peak period, their cells divide actively, and embryonic tissue is more sensitive to radiation. Regular chest X-rays can cause partial cellular damage, leading to a decrease in immunity or the appearance of cancerous lesions.
Therefore, children are generally not encouraged to receive X-ray irradiation, and nuclear imaging and X-ray chest examination should not be included in the routine examination items for infants, young children, and adolescents, unless there is suspicion of lung infection or undiagnosed lesions that require X-ray diagnosis.
How often do you get a chest X-ray? Having a chest X-ray still requires a certain degree of caution. Do not request a chest X-ray without the guidance of a doctor. So, how often should a chest X-ray be done? Let's take a look.
Avoid repeated X-ray examinations in a short period of time. X-rays have cumulative damage to the human body, and if multiple X-ray examinations are performed within a few days, the accumulated damage will be significant.
Some people believe that the total exposure time of routine chest X-ray should not exceed 12 minutes within a few days, which is unlikely to have a significant impact on the body. In fact, radioactive substances left in the chest X-ray will need some time to be eliminated.
Although many hospitals now have imaging enhancement systems (TV) with their X-ray machines, the exposure dose is significantly reduced, it is still necessary to reduce the number of examinations, especially in a short time.
It is recommended to have a chest X-ray once a year, not too much, and eat more radiation resistant foods.
The medical section mentioned in this article is for reference only.
If there is any discomfort, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately, and the diagnosis and treatment should be based on offline medical examination.