There are many effects of x-rays on the human body. But X-rays do not cause any sudden health problems. An X-ray is the form of electromagnetic radiation used to create images of the internal structure of your body. A small dose of an x-ray exposure to your body that helps the doctor to see inside your body and see any changes. Commonly, for bone fractures, doctors recommend having an x-rays test.ย
But x-rays are also used in different treatments such as infections, muscle disorders, loss of tissues, joint problems, and dental issues. About x-rays, the most common is how many x-rays can you have in a year? So, the answer is: There is no specific number that how many x-rays you can have in a year. You can have ten x-rays in a year or three x-rays in a year. It doesnโt matter that how much frequency of x-ray radiation you are getting, the matter is the intensity of the radiation.
Tell your doctor, if you are undergoing more procedures that use radiation. You should tell him/her if you are getting any risks associated with x-ray radiation. Coming to the x-ray effects. The 5 hidden x-ray effects on the human body are:
X-rays may lead to cancer:
Radiation is around us all the time. We are getting radiation from cell phones, the sun, and other sources such as air flights. You may be anxious about exposing your body to x-ray radiations. Because if the doses of x-rays are very high, they can harm your tissues and DNA cells which may lead to cancer. X-ray is ionizing radiation that may lead to thyroid cancer. Dental x-ray is the common cause of thyroid cancer in which an x-ray machine revolves around your head. This type of x-ray may also lead to brain cancer.
X-rays can cause infections:
Before the x-ray test, your technician may give you contrast material by mouth or by injection. It will help to highlight the images of your internal structure of the body. This contrast material may cause rashes, vomiting, and itching. In some cases, the risks are very serious because they may lead to harmful infections. Tell your technician if you have allergic or infection issues.
X-rays can cause miscarriage:
X-rays during pregnancy can harm your unborn baby. If you are undergoing stomach x-rays radiation over a short period, it could affect your baby. In the first two weeks after pregnancy, exposure to the high amount of radiation in the stomach test might result in a miscarriage. Before having an x-ray tell your doctor if you are or might be pregnant.
X-rays can cause hair loss:
If your doctor recommends you panoramic x-ray to check your teeth and jaws problems. In this type of x-ray, the machine rotates around your head which may lead to brain cancer and hair loss but with exposure to high x-ray radiation.
X-rays can affect your genetics:
As x-ray is ionizing radiation that may damage your genetic material. It will result in mutations that transmits from generation to generation. X-ray radiations break the bond of DNA. Our cells try to rebind DNA, but it is difficult for the cells to again repair them correctly. As a result, the sequence of DNA will change. All this process happened with a high dose of x-ray radiation. Note that: All these risks and effects are very minor in front of the benefits of x-ray radiation test. But they aren’t negligible at all for the safety of the patients.
Radiation Therapy:ย
All radiology techniques, such as CT scans and radiation therapy uses x-rays for the treatment of cancer. Radiation uses a high-energy beam of light to kill cancerous cells. In this process, the machine is present in front of your body at a precise point to damage genetic material that controls how cells grow and divide. The goal of radiation therapy is to kill more cancerous cells as possible. For every type of cancer, doctors use radiation therapy.
Your doctor may suggest you radiation therapy during your cancer treatment: before surgery, or after surgery. The side effects of radiation therapy depend on which part of your body is being examined. You may not get any side effects, or you may get many side effects. If your head and neck are being treated you may experience swallowing, sore throat, and tooth decay, etc.
For the chest, you may experience a shortage of breath and cough. In case of abdomen, you may get vomiting. Likewise for the pelvis, you may experience bladder irritation.
Looking for an X-ray center?
Before you undergo radiation therapy, first choose an x-ray center. You can choose an affordable x-ray center. They will decide what type of radiation, and how much amount of radiation you will need based on your stage of cancer.
