.Americans get most radiation from medical scans

.Americans get most radiation from medical scans

news.yahoo.com

Americans get the most medical radiation in the world, even more than folks in other rich countries. The U.S. accounts for half of the most advanced procedures that use radiation, and the average American's dose has grown sixfold over the last couple of decades

Radiation is a hidden danger — you don't feel it when you get it, and any damage usually doesn't show up for years. Taken individually, tests that use radiation pose little risk. Over time, though, the dose accumulates.

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There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that American's are over-radiated. Every year with full dental x-rays, any time you have a sports related injury, x-ray or ct.

Have you ever been in a situation where a medical professional, while ordering you an x-ray has asked you when the last time you had some form of radiation? Its not ever happened.

12 months is not a long time. No reason to have 8 x-rays a year when you go in for your annual check-up. I will refuse the x-rays next time.

Earlier this year I had a pretty bad chest infection. Doctor sent me straight in for a chest x-ray. Of course it was negative and a couple of days later I was feeling much better. Why not send me home and if in a few days I was still feeling poorly, then send me for the film?

I believe that much of this is due to the insurance firms and the corruption that exists within our medical establishment.

Like many things ordered by medical professionals, most folks are not comfortable declining a test, especially folks with good insurance who don't have to pay out of pocket for the test. Time for us all to get a bit more self directed in our own medical care and refuse some of these exams.

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I am intrigued to know how much it costs the patient for an xray? I don't want to tarnish the USA with the money stick but come on we all know how the pharmaceutical companies/Healthcare work in the US and if you don't I will give you a clue $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

This is why I never get X-rays. I ONLY will get one if I think a bone is broken.

I refuse to take the radiation risks simply over a tooth or other minor inconvenience.

When I was a kid, I learned about this radiation issue. I saw the dentist go behind the lead curtain, and I asked him "Wait, I wanna be back there too!?".
And so he explained to me, getting one or two X-rays is safe but if you were next to it all day long, you would be damaged certainly. Thus the lead curtain they hide behind lol.

Ever since then, I simply refuse to get them done. The dangers are obviously far too high if the Doc needs a dam lead curtain!

So my radiation intake is actually LESS than most humans on Earth. I have probably only had 4 X-rays in my entire life. And I hope to not add more than 1 or 2 more of those by the time my life is over.

My evidence that X-rays are harmful is the Doc uses a lead curtain.

Also don't be fooled. A Computed Tomography scan is highly dangerous as well.

CT scans are basically multiple X-ray scans at the same time, spinning around you in order to get a 3d image.

Talk about radiation, that thing is scary.

en.wikipedia.org...

Magnetic Resonance Imaging is different though. It uses magnetics.

MRI scans do employ Radio waves to alter the magnetic alignments of the atoms in your bodies; so there is radiation but it NOT ionizing like in X-rays.

So, in conclusion, unless aligning your atoms magnetically is somehow harmful; MRI scans are the way to go as they are obviously far safer than typical X-rays or CT scans which bombard you with ionizing radiation which is harmful.

And MRI scans give better resolution of specific things as well, specifically tissues.

en.wikipedia.org...

Don't take your toddler to the ER if he has any bruises on his body... In the US this is grounds for a "full body scan"; 16 x-rays "required by law" to rule out "previous abuse".

# A full radiographic abuse survey (skeletal survey) is indicated in any child aged 2 years or younger with evidence or strong suspicion of physical abuse.
# The bone survey should include at a minimum 2 views of each extremity (individual long bones are highly recommended rather than single views of the entire extremity), anteroposterior (AP) and lateral skull, AP and lateral spine, chest, abdomen, pelvis, hands, and feet. Films should be reviewed carefully for classic metaphyseal lesions and healing fractures—particularly of the posterior ribs.

emedicine.medscape.com...

My son was subjected to this bs and I was given the option while he was sick to either submit to the "full body scan" or to put my 10 month kid in protective custody until the Monday when I could "talk to a judge".

I let them radiate my kid. They found nothing.

The x-ray tech says she does these full scans all the time at the call of ER doctors and rarely finds anything.

I came close to thrashing a hospital that day.

Sri Oracle

[edit on 15-6-2010 by Sri Oracle]

2010 and we're still using old technology..

simple.