Medical Uses of X-rays
X-rays, or radiographs, are a screening tool that doctors use to get a picture of a patient’s body. Since the body is composed of parts that are different densities, such as muscles and bones, doctors can see the body in a 2 dimensional image. Since it was first realized that x-rays can show bone structures, they have been used for many medical uses, such as medical imaging.
Plain radiographs allow doctors to detect and diagnose conditions in the skeletal system because bones show up exceptionally well on the images. Doctors can also find some diseases that are in the soft tissue. One example is chest x-rays. These can be used to show diseases in the lungs such as pneumonia and lung cancer. Another example is abdominal x-rays. These can show doctors obstructions in the intestines. Radiographs can also show conditions such as gallstones and kidney stones. There are some issues that can occur in soft tissues that the basic radiograph cannot show the doctor. Some of those are diseases of the brain or muscles. Since teeth are made of bone, plain x-rays are typically used in dentistry. They can show the dentist where there may be cavities in patients’ teeth.
Fluoroscopy is another way that x-rays are used. This procedure usually involves a contrast material, so the doctor can see conditions easily. An example of this is to have the patient swallow barium, so the doctor can clearly see any esophageal disorders.
X-rays are also used in radiotherapy. This is where the radiographs are used as a treatment instead of a tool. This type of treatment is widely known as radiation therapy and is used for cancer management. Higher levels of radiation energy are used than what is used for imaging.
There are some risks that go along with the use of radiographs. X-rays are considered a carcinogen by the US government, as well as the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. During each x-ray that is performed on a patient, the patient absorbs some of the radiation. The amount of radiation that is absorbed by the patient is dependent on the type of x-ray that is being used and the body part that is being x-rayed. The radiation is most dangerous to unborn babies, so the risk is weighed against the benefits of performing an x-ray on pregnant women. In order to reduce the risks of cancer, it’s best to avoid any unnecessary radiographs. This will also reduce the dose of radiation that the patient is exposed to.
In order to protect patients from the radiation, shields are used to cover the parts of the body that are not being x-rayed. The shields typically look like a cloak and are made of lead. Lead is the best material to use to block the radiation from radiographs because it is remarkably dense.
Radiographs have many medical uses, primarily for imaging and radiation therapy. However, it is best to exercise sound judgment and weighing the benefits against the risks when deciding to have one. There are ways of protecting the parts of the body that are not being x-rayed, but it best to avoid them if at all possible.
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