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We Want You to Know About X-Rays: Get the Picture on ProtectionIntroductionAsk how it will help Don't refuse an X-Ray Don't insist on an X-Ray Tell the doctor if you are, or think you might be pregnant Keep up on new mammography information Ask if a gonad shield can be used Keep an X-Ray record card Will you be one of the 7 out of 10 Americans who will get a medical or dental x-ray picture this year? Most of the time thats fine because the x-ray will help your doctor find out whats wrong and decide how you should be treated The information from diagnostic x-rays can even save your life. But sometimes x-rays
are taken when theyre not medically needed. And even when there
is a good medical reason for an x-ray, if proper care is not taken, the
patient can get more radiation than necessary. Like many things, x-rays
may do harm as well as good. X-rays may add slightly to the chance of
getting cancer in later life. And if the sex organs are in or near the
x-ray beam, changes could be produced in the reproductive cells. Those
changes might be passed on and could cause harm in future children and
grandchildren. Because of the amount of radiation used in x-ray examinations is small, the chance that x-rays will cause these problems is very low. Still, it makes sense to avoid unnecessary risks, no matter how small. By avoiding x-rays that arent medically needed, you avoid the risks, and you can also avoid unnecessary medical costs. You may now be asking, How many x-ray exams are safe? Theres really no answer to this question. There is no number that is definitely safe, just as there is no number that is definitely dangerous. Every x-ray can involve some tiny risk. If the x-ray is needed to find out about a medical problem, then that small risk is certainly worth taking. Here's what you can do: ASK HOW IT WILL HELP to find out whats wrong. How will it help determine your treatment? Feel free to talk with your doctor; you have a right to understand why an x-ray is suggested. DONT REFUSE AN
X-RAY if the doctor explains why it is medically needed. Remember,
the risk of not having a needed x-ray is greater than the tiny risk from
the radiation. |
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