My question is-does anyone know how much is too much radiation in regular x-rays? I have always heard that the radiation can cause cancer and all sorts of problems and I have had to have probably 8-10 in this last year (guessing) and the last 2 were a month apart (kidney stone). Now that I have passes a stone, they want to do another one and I'm thinkin' maybe not a good idea. If you space them out however, does the body have time to regenerate healthy cells or whatever it needs to take on another x-ray? You just never hear about how much is too much. Any info on this would be great!
You will never find a true answer for this question. But I think it depends on the person. I know it's not safe when the person taking the x-ray runs and hides behind a lead wall but it depends on where it hit's your body, I know it's bad to x-ray you kneck because of your thyroid, I have had a picc line put in me and they had to take live x-rays and they couldn't leave the room, and they all had extra neck guards to protect there thyroid. Yes it could cause cancer, but our bodys are always fighting off cancer and it's up to our bodys to loose the fight. What i'm trying to say is if an xray made cancer start growing in our body useually our body would fight it off and we would never know what happened.
It is the accumulation of x-rays on same area that is a problem.
I had x-ray for acne in my teens. Later in life my dermatologist figured out the approximate number of rads I had on my face and it was borderline maximum. I do have radiation damage to my face but not radiation disease. I do have thyroid damage, that is, hypothyroid or Hashimoto disease as result of the x-rays. My thyroid was not protected during x-ray treatment for acne.
Always ask for a lead shield for your thyroid any time you have x-rays. Rays do scatter over larger area than what is aimed at.
In case of chest x-rays they measure you in order to set the x-ray machine for the right strength of x-ray.
You are wise to think about how much x-ray exposure you are being exposed to.
I would ask the doctor many questions, that is why it is necessary to have another x-ray after the kidney stone has been passed.
Yes I am concerned and that is why I have not gone back to get another one. No one seems to know and most of them guess and blow it off as, "You're okay" when they don't know or don't take the time to get an actual history. They just ask that you bring in any previous x-rays pertaining to that particular problem. They never ask, how many x-rays have you had this year and where were they taken. I would think that doctors would think about that.
Yes I am concerned and that is why I have not gone back to get another one. No one seems to know and most of them guess and blow it off as, "You're okay" when they don't know or don't take the time to get an actual history. They just ask that you bring in any previous x-rays pertaining to that particular problem. They never ask, how many x-rays have you had this year and where were they taken. I would think that doctors would think about that.
but it depends on where it hit's your body, I know it's bad to x-ray you kneck because of your thyroid, I have had a picc line put in me and they had to take live x-rays and they couldn't leave the room, and they all had extra neck guards to protect there thyroid. Yes it could cause cancer, but our bodys are always fighting off cancer and it's up to our bodys to loose the fight. What i'm trying to say is if an xray made cancer start growing in our body useually our body would fight it off and we would never know what happened.
