One of the most informative and popular methods for diagnosing certain somatic diseases is x-ray examination. Using this method, it is possible to diagnose many diseases of the musculoskeletal system, pulmonary and digestive systems. In medical practice, examination options such as angiography, computed tomography, fluorography and many other methods are used.
Despite the high degree of information content of x-ray examination methods, this method has a negative impact on the human body at any age. This is especially true for children and adolescents, for whom X-ray methods are used for examination. It is important for every parent to become familiar with the effect of radiation on the child’s body, as well as the recommended frequency of performing this study without the risk of harming the baby.
Why are x-rays dangerous?
X-rays are electromagnetic waves (X-rays) ranging in length from 0.001 to 50 nm (mmn).
The powerful force of the rays easily illuminates the internal organs of a person. The skeletal-skeletal system is unable to overcome the waves, so it appears in white in the image. The procedure is dangerous because X-rays passing through the body can change the chemical composition of the blood and influence the structure of the DNA and RNA molecules. Even a small dose of radiation affects the human genetic code.
Repeated irradiation in a short time provokes a disease of the circulatory system (leukemia) and negatively affects the functioning of internal organs. The thyroid, mammary glands, and bone marrow are most affected.
How often can x-rays be taken?
Patients are wary of X-rays. Especially if the doctor prescribed several procedures. Equipment in modern medical institutions significantly reduces the level of harmful exposure, unlike equipment of the previous generation. Consequently, the doses were reduced several times. The permissible level of safe radiation is up to 150 mSv for 12 months.
Radiation level (mSv) from radiography, with:
- fluorography 0.7 - 0.8;
- general CT (computed tomography) - 10;
- irradiation of the spine - 1.5;
- X-ray of extremities (arms, legs) - 0.001;
- chest X-ray - 0.1;
- X-ray of the stomach - 0.3;
- dental photograph - 0.03.
How often can X-rays of the lungs and fluorography be done? X-ray examination is performed to confirm the diagnosis (cancer, tuberculosis, pneumonia), and fluorography is performed to examine the body. The radiation exposure during an image of the lungs is 1.5 mSv, which is 2 times higher than with digital fluorography (0.7 mSv). But this figure does not exceed the permissible dose. The doctor prescribes an X-ray of the lungs to track the dynamics of treatment for a serious illness.
Patients are concerned about how often dental x-rays can be taken if there is a need for complex prosthetics or extractions. A dental photograph is considered the safest x-ray examination. The radiation dose is negligible, but this does not mean that irradiation is done for every reason. If necessary, the dentist has the right to prescribe 2 - 3 x-rays within a week.
How often should an x-ray be taken:
- For examination purposes, it is necessary to perform fluorography once every 12 months. The report starts from the moment of the last snapshot.
- For educators, teachers, educators - once every 6 months.
- For people with a severe form of the disease, x-rays are performed 3 to 5 times in 30 days. The procedure is considered forced, despite the negative radiation effects. For example, a lung tumor can lead to the death of a person if the dynamics of treatment are not monitored in a timely manner using x-rays.
How often can a child be x-rayed, anxious parents wonder. Children are not examined without reason. Mandatory radiation for head trauma, fractures, and lung diseases.
Precautionary measures
To reduce the risk of possible complications, you should not undergo x-rays more often than prescribed by your doctor. In addition, it is advisable to undergo examination in medical institutions equipped with modern and safer equipment.
In order to minimize harm from exposure to radiation, doctors try to reduce the area of exposure. For this purpose, patients are given special caps, mittens and aprons. In order for the x-ray to be successful and not have to be redone, you must strictly follow all the instructions of the specialists. You need to fix your body in the desired position and also hold your breath for a certain time.
Is it possible to do x-rays for children and pregnant women?
Children's bodies are more susceptible to X-rays than adults. This is due to the anthropometric features of the body structure. Therefore, radiography should be done in case of urgent need.
- Traumatic brain injury, fracture.
- Improper teething, abscesses.
- Lung diseases (bilateral pneumonia, bronchitis).
- Leukemia.
- Diseases of the musculoskeletal system, knee joints, feet, dysplasia.
- Birth injury.
- Accidental penetration of a foreign object into the gastrointestinal tract.
X-rays for children should be done using high-quality modern equipment, with minimal negative impact. Without harm to health, you can perform 1 - 2 x-rays within 12 months.
After irradiation, a small patient may experience unpleasant symptoms - dizziness, nausea, weakness and lethargy. The symptoms correspond to radiation sickness. Adults should seek treatment from a doctor immediately.
Is it possible to do an x-ray on a breastfeeding woman?
A breastfeeding woman is not recommended to take a photo unless absolutely necessary. After the photo, the amount of milk may decrease, but the chemical composition of the liquid does not change. 2 - 3 hours after the x-ray, the woman can start feeding the baby.
Allowed number of procedures
It is impossible to give a definite answer to the question of how many times a child can be x-rayed, since the permissible number of procedures depends on several factors:
- the need to clarify the diagnosis if this cannot be done using other diagnostic methods;
- type of equipment used;
- areas of research.
In a normal situation, the age of a child under 14 years of age is a serious contraindication to any type of x-ray. However, in some cases, minor radiation exposure carries much less danger than a disease, the latent course of which can lead to serious consequences.
Anti-radiation products
Radiation is slowly eliminated from the body.
If the procedure needs to be done as a preventive examination (1 - 2 times a year), then you do not need to take medications and products that remove harmful substances. If a person has been exposed to radiation multiple times or has shown signs of radiation sickness, it is necessary to help the body eliminate radionuclides as quickly as possible.
- Products containing fiber (bran, grains, fruits and vegetables).
- Dried fruits (prunes, dried apricots).
- Legumes (beans, lentils).
- Dairy products (milk, cheese, cottage cheese).
- Berries (black currant, sea buckthorn).
- Fish (sea bass, cod).
- Chanterelles.
- Herbal infusions and decoctions (birch buds, nettle, St. John's wort)
- Natural dry red wine (no more than 150 ml per day).
- Green tea and drinking plenty of water.
How many times a year can an x-ray be taken?
X-ray is a rather complex scientific procedure for studying the tissues of the human body. To date, science has not yet created anything more advanced to replace X-rays, but this technique seems largely controversial in terms of its impact on health.
Its essence lies in recording on a special film (initially, and then, of course, everything can be converted into digital form) images obtained as a result of the passage of X-ray waves through the human body.
They are indeed a type of radiation, and although in its natural form it is constantly present in the surrounding world (for example, in the rays of the sun), in this case the single doses received with each image are significant.
X-rays are widely used to check the integrity of the skeletal system (the presence of fractures, monitoring their fusion), in dentistry, and to diagnose some ENT diseases. And in general, it is informative (due to the characteristics of the waves), mainly for hard tissues.
The harmful effect of x-rays is based, roughly speaking, on its ability to knock electrons out of the human body. The body knows how to recover - but gradually and under the condition of not too intense loads of this kind.
Therefore, the opinion of most doctors is clear - if an x-ray affects the head (brain) and spinal column, then it does not need to be done more than once a year.
If we are talking about pictures of extremities (arms, legs), you can take up to 5 pictures per year.
You can visit the dentist for an X-ray only 5 times, and then only on the condition that the radiation will be directed only to the teeth, with protection (covering) of the part of the head that is not necessary for the image.
But if there is a need for this, it is naturally better to subject the body to very frequent stress than, for example, to allow bones to heal incorrectly after an accident.
Plus, how often, how many times a year, X-rays are taken, whether it is possible to combine several examinations with them in a short time interval, is significantly influenced by modern technologies - many clinics are equipped with the latest equipment, thanks to which X-rays emit much less harm and have the highest informative.
Regardless of the frequency of taking x-rays, after the study it is recommended to support the body with a varied diet, including in the diet, in particular, foods rich in antioxidants - sea fish, oatmeal, grapes (preferably black and sweet varieties), as well as those that generally promote rapid recovery products such as whole grain bread, nuts, fermented milk.
General information about X-ray examination
X-ray studies are based on the ability of ionizing radiation, passing through body tissues, to “reflect” their density. This leads to a well-known effect: in the resulting image, the bones are always lighter than soft tissue formations, etc. This makes it possible to identify various pathological processes and diseases in the body even when no complaints or symptoms are observed.
An important advantage of x-rays is the low cost of the examination and the fast turnaround time for the image, which has a positive effect on its prevalence in medicine.
However, as a result of the fact that ionizing radiation affects the tissues of various organs, primarily those that are constantly renewed, the use of X-rays in children is strictly regulated. In particular, strict indications and contraindications for examination apply to children under one year of age.
How many times a year can fluorography be done?
This diagnostic method, in fact, is a lightweight version of x-ray, that is, with it, the human body is also exposed to radiation, but to a much lesser extent.
Which, firstly, allows the area of research to be focused on soft tissues, and secondly, poses a significantly less threat to health.
Most often, fluorography is used to examine the state of the respiratory organs (lungs), identifying the presence and characteristics, in particular, of such pathologies as:
This diagnostic is somewhat less often in demand for monitoring the cardiovascular system.
Fluorography is mandatory for many professions, for example, for cooks, mining workers, kindergarten teachers, and often for students. In short, for all those whose activities involve contact with many people (or with something intended for them) or involve certain health risks.
The norm for them to undergo fluorography is 1-2 times a year, and also within 12 months, the results of a study conducted for preventive purposes for all people are considered valid and relevant.
Frequency of examination
According to the law of the Russian Federation, the working population needs to undergo fluorography once a year. Based on the results of the examination, a certificate is issued, which is required for employment, upon admission to study, before hospital treatment, and for conscripts. The results of lung fluorography are valid for 12 months. Therefore, if there are no special indications for the examination, there is no need to undergo the procedure frequently.
For a healthy person, once a year is enough. To avoid untimely receipt of a portion of x-rays, it is important to know exactly the expiration date of the FLG. Another question about how often fluorography can be done arises if a person goes to the doctor with complaints of feeling unwell or has had contact with a patient with tuberculosis. In this case, pictures are taken more often, which helps to identify the disease.
There is a separate category of citizens who are required to undergo a fluorogram in a more intensive temporary mode. This is a justified preventive measure, since this group of people is more likely to become infected or acquire pulmonary diseases.
- medical staff of maternity hospitals. Newborn children and pregnant women need enhanced protection;
- doctors working with tuberculosis-infected patients. The risk of infection in this category is higher;
- workers of mining enterprises. There is a large percentage of lung cancer in this industry;
- workers in hazardous industries (asbestos, rubber) and steelworkers, who are also more often susceptible to lung cancer.
For these people, different rules apply regarding how many times a year fluorography can be done.
How many times a year can you do an ultrasound?
Today, ultrasound seems to be one of the most dynamically developing diagnostic methods, widely in demand in medicine for a variety of purposes, in particular, for monitoring the condition of:
• organs of the urinary system;
• liver, gall bladder and bile ducts;
• mammary glands (prevention and treatment of cancer);
• pregnancy (from determining the timing of conception to the development of the fetus and determining its sex).
The list of areas of application of ultrasound can be continued for a long time, but it is also important to note that the technique is valued for its ability to observe the body “in motion” - the image is displayed in real time on the screen of a special device (and can then be recorded in photographs).
The method itself is based on the reflection of ultrasonic waves of certain frequencies by the tissues of the human body (different, in particular, for some organs and its areas).
Today, scientists tend to recognize ultrasound as a completely harmless diagnostic method - ultrasonic waves are not able to accumulate in the human body, and the heating of tissue that accompanies them is so short-lived that it also cannot negatively change the state of the body in any way.
Thus, it is reasonable to ask the relevant specialists the question of how many times a year an ultrasound can be done, and the doctors’ answer will be unanimous - as often as needed for a timely and complete diagnosis. You should not be afraid of even several such studies in one day.
Moreover, the procedure actually has no contraindications and you don’t have to think about how often a person does an ultrasound, how many times a year, except for very unique cases that prohibit it and the general rule that the person being examined in the area affected by the device should not have cause damage to the skin.
The effect of electromagnetic rays on the body
This aspect deserves special attention. Many people wonder whether fluorography and x-rays are really dangerous. Both methods have a number of differences, but there is one common detail: during diagnosis, the human body is exposed to X-ray radiation with short wavelengths. As a result, ionization of atoms and molecules occurs in soft tissues, as a result of which their structure changes.
Exposure to very high doses can lead to many serious complications, including:
- radiation sickness;
- damage to internal organs;
- formation of burns on the skin;
- extensive internal bleeding.
As a result of all of the above, a person dies just a few hours after exposure. As for the small doses associated with x-rays, there is also harm. Taking them regularly can cause exacerbation of chronic diseases. In addition, there is a high probability of genetic changes that can be inherited.
How and how many times a year can X-rays, fluorography and ultrasound be done in combination?
Modern medicine considers all three diagnostic methods as practically equivalent, each intended for its own purposes and partly complementing each other (for example, sometimes pathology in the body can be initially recorded using x-rays and examined in more detail using ultrasound).
As for their compatibility, doctors distinguish between ultrasound and fluorography with x-rays. The first method, as already mentioned, is harmless and, without affecting anything, can be combined with any diagnostic methods. The second two methods, similar in their mode of action, ultrasound do not contradict, but are extremely undesirable in mutual combination in one short time interval (for example, on one day), except for those cases when clarifying the patient’s health status is of great importance and cannot be delayed.
When determining how many times a year fluorography and x-rays can be done, it is unacceptable to take them into account instead of each other, and it can definitely be said that after frequent forced x-rays, the frequency of examinations using fluorography should be reduced if possible (and vice versa).
Contraindications
It is advisable to familiarize yourself with this aspect first. When deciding to visit an x-ray room, you must take into account that radiation diagnostics may not always be carried out. You should avoid it if you have the following health problems:
- extremely serious condition;
- diabetes mellitus type 2;
- active tuberculosis;
- open pneumothorax;
- renal and liver failure or dysfunction of these organs;
- iodine intolerance;
- internal bleeding;
- any diseases of the thyroid gland.
In addition, examination is not recommended during pregnancy, especially in the early stages.
How many times a year and how often can an X-ray of the lungs be taken?
X-rays of the lungs can be done as often as the doctor prescribes. X-ray examination is accompanied by radiation exposure to the human body. The dangers of radiation have been confirmed by clinical studies.
There are different effects from the influence of chronic and acute doses. When performing an X-ray examination, low-dose radiation is generated. With frequent and prolonged exposure to the body, it leads to genetic mutations of cells.
An acute radiation reaction is accompanied by rapid death of organs and tissues. Doctors understand the difference between the benefits and harms of X-rays, so they prescribe X-rays of the lungs only when indicated.
The Ministry of Health clearly regulates the radiation safety of personnel and patients.
Therapeutic x-ray of the lungs - what is it?
Therapeutic X-rays of the lungs are used by oncologists for radiation therapy of the disease. With its help, pathological cells are destroyed. This type of X-ray diagnosis can be done as often as needed to fight tumors. Even a child undergoes a medical examination, since cancer is a life-threatening pathology.
How many times a year are lung x-rays taken?
Telling how many times a year X-rays of the lungs are taken, we remind readers that a preventive examination of the lungs should be performed once every 12 months. In this case, the total human radiation dose should not exceed 1 mSv.
Children under 18 years old are given a diagnostic x-ray if the disease is suspected, but fluorography is contraindicated.
Some doctors are of the opinion that X-ray diagnostics are indicated for the patient as many times as pathology is detected in the image. This opinion is not rational, since most diseases of the chest organs are determined by other less dangerous methods - auscultation, ultrasound examination, laboratory blood test from a finger or a vein.
It is not rational to perform x-rays a large number of times while the patient’s condition is dynamically improving. Such exposure is absolutely unnecessary. It’s a different matter when there is a suspicion of lung cancer.
It is necessary to take photographs if the disease is suspected and there is no progress in the treatment of the pathology.
Digital photo of a chest x-ray. The picture is normal, with the exception of a slightly raised right dome of the diaphragm (against the background of an enlarged liver)
How often to do fluorography
How long can fluorography be done per year? How much does the doctor say? No. Preventive X-ray examination is performed only once a year. If pathological symptoms are detected in a digital photo, diagnostic radiography is performed in frontal and lateral projections. It has high resolution and allows you to see shadows more than 5 mm in diameter. Such formations appear in the lungs with the following diseases:
– Infiltrative tuberculosis; - Pneumonia; - Cancer tumor; – Forming abscess or cyst.
The patient is sent for a chest x-ray even when the examination results are in doubt.
Fluorography is done according to the decree of the Ministry of Health - once a year. More frequent research is not rational. They will only lead to unnecessary radiation exposure to the patient.
The main advantages of X-rays over the “flux”:
Fluorography has low resolution and accuracy; The method does not allow one to form an idea of the state of small formations of the lung tissue and heart.
