Seven times more radiation for Americans: Good or bad?

William Atkins
Wednesday, 04 March 2009 20:55

Science - Health

There are advantages and disadvantages to medical procedures that use radiation scans.

They can detect problems within our body, which can help to minimize risks of medical problems and even prevent premature death.

However, too many of these radiation scans can increase our risks from cancers and other diseases.

With most things in this world, the prudent thing to do is to avoid excessive use of such procedures and only have them done when necessary.

In all cases, ask the advice of medical professionals before having any medical procedure performed on your body.

Additional information is provided by the Health Physics Society, a group specializing in radiation safety, in its article (pdf file) “Radiation Exposure From Medical Diagnostic Imaging Procedures.”

It begins by saying, "Ionizing radiation is used daily in hospitals and clinics to perform diagnostic imaging procedures. For the purposes of this fact sheet, the word radiation refers to ionizing radiation. The most commonly mentioned forms of ionizing radiation are x rays and gamma rays."

And, "Procedures that use radiation are necessary for accurate diagnosis of disease and injury. They provide important information about your health to your doctor and help ensure that you receive appropriate care. Physicians and technologists performing these procedures are trained to use the minimum amount of radiation necessary for the procedure."

"Benefits from the medical procedure greatly outweigh any potential small risk of harm from the amount of radiation used."