Is it harmful to take X-rays on children?

Everyone knows that when there is an abnormal condition inside the body, we will go to the hospital for an examination called X-ray to detect whether there is any disease in the body. X-rays are a type of radioactive light that is widely present in nature. Later, scientists discovered that this type of light has penetrating properties, so X-rays have been widely used in medical technology. X-rays have a certain degree of radiation, so many parents worry about whether X-ray examinations will have any impact on their children's health.

What is an X-ray?

X-rays used in examinations such as CT scans are a form of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light, but they have a higher penetrating power and can pass through the human body. With the proper equipment and technique, X-rays can be used to view the internal structures of the body and create images to detect disease or other problems.

Can X-rays from medical examinations harm the human body?

This is usually not a cause for concern; the radiation dose used in most X-ray examinations, whether done with traditional technology or modern digital equipment, is quite small. It is important to reduce unnecessary repeated examinations and be cautious about examinations with high radiation doses, such as CT and interventional surgery, because high radiation examinations will increase the risk of related cancers.

Is there a difference between medical radiation and natural radiation?

Everyone is exposed to radiation from the natural environment around us, from the universe, from the soil, from food, and even from our own bodies. This natural radiation is similar to the X-rays used in medical exams. Depending on the living environment, each person is exposed to 1-3 mSv of natural radiation each year, and the global average is 2.4 mSv. In some places, residents are exposed to natural radiation as high as 10mSv per year. You can compare natural radiation exposure with the radiation doses from X-rays given below.

Do all the tests involve high levels of radiation?

Different types of tests use different amounts of radiation. The most common radiation test is the frontal chest X-ray, which has an average radiation dose of 0.02 mSv. This is much lower than the natural radiation we mentioned above. The following table lists the radiation doses from common radiological tests and how many chest x-rays they would equate to.

Is there a safe upper limit to radiation exposure during radiological examinations?

No. Generally speaking, the benefits of radiological examinations to patient treatment outweigh the radiation risks. In order not to limit these benefits, no international organization has set an upper limit on radiation doses to patients. The risks of reasonable radiological examinations are acceptable. But it is the attending physician and radiologist's responsibility to ensure that the health benefits to the patient from the examination outweigh the radiation risks.

Can radiology cause cancer?

The risk of radiation-induced cancer is low but cumulative. Every radiation test a patient undergoes carries a slightly increased risk. Therefore, it is recommended that the examination should be conducted using the method with the lowest dose while obtaining sufficient images for diagnosis. For every additional 1000mSV of radiation (about 50,000 X-rays) a person is exposed to, the probability of cancer increases by about 5-6%. Compared to our risk of getting cancer anyway (14%-40%), the increased risk of cancer from most tests is relatively small. Is it safe for children to undergo radiological examinations? There is no need to restrict the use of X-rays in children as long as the clinical benefits outweigh the small potential risks of radiation. However, some organs in children are more sensitive to radiation than those in adults, and their life expectancy in the future is also longer. Therefore, it is necessary to consider whether to use non-ionizing radiation imaging techniques as an alternative method in daily life. Radiographic examinations of children should be limited to only those necessary to make an accurate diagnosis.

Can radiation exposure from medical examinations be reduced?

OK. Although the risks of an X-ray are mostly very small, we should still try to minimize the radiation risk. Physicians should always consider whether appropriate non-ionizing radiation imaging tests (such as ultrasound, MRI, etc.) can be substituted. Unlike X-rays, these non-ionizing radiations do not increase the risk of cancer. However, it is not always possible to replace X-rays with non-ionizing radiation examinations. In addition to the radiation risks, other issues need to be considered. For example, sometimes infants and young children must take sedatives if they do MRI instead of CT. Radiation testing, like many medical issues, does have the potential to be abused in the country. However, radiation examination can provide very important evidence for the confirmation and examination of the disease. So what we need to reject is not X-rays, but their abuse. Find a reliable doctor and follow his or her advice. The benefits of radiation examination will far outweigh the disadvantages. Of course, we can also reduce the risk of harm to the human body from medical radiation from the following angles: confirm with the doctor whether an X-ray examination is necessary; in certain disease cases, you can consult the doctor whether ultrasound, MRI and other methods can be used to replace X-ray examinations with higher radiation levels; X-ray examinations should be limited to the required parts; expose the parts that need to be examined and wear protective equipment as required; and get as close to the detection equipment as required.