Medical Imaging And Ionizing Radiation Effects On Human Health

Furthermore, X-ray of higher energy than required for imaging is used for radiation therapy. The radiation therapy makes use of ionization radiation (and no images) for the treatment of diseases, such as

Medalia (2011) concludes that ionizing radiation, in other words radiation separate from harmless radio waves and light, has the ability to knock electrons out of atoms, causing a condition that produces an electrically charged atom that can damage human cells. Only a very small amount is needed to produce biological change. Symptoms include cancer, genetic mutations, sickness, vomiting, diarrhea, hemorrhaging, and at high doses, death within hours (Medalia 2011).

Due to some circumstances being out of our control, whether it is through natural means of toxicity from radiation or unnatural means of radiation, how do we protect ourselves? The Earth is covered in natural background radiation. Terrestrial, cosmic and radon radiation are all a part of our environment. Even if manmade radiation and nuclear radiation didn’t exist, we would still be exposed to toxic, unhealthy sources of biological changing substances. How do our bodies recover from an assault to our immune systems and resume a healthy life from ionizing radiation that can cause cancer? How do we become proactive, and responsible for our own health outcome? Can we eliminate from our bodies unwanted toxins, carcinogens, free radicals, and ionizing substances? Do we have control over our health after a large dose of radiation from a nuclear accident, or treatment from radiation therapy? Evidence shows that we do. Just as there are natural sources of radiation, there are natural ways to cleanse our bodies and use nutrition to detoxify, rejuvenate, and restore health when our immunity has been compromised from natural or unnatural sources of radiation.

To begin, it is essential to note that the universal purpose of an executive summary is to provide readers with a condensed version of a report that allows them to become adequately acquainted with the longer version without ever having to read it (page 214). The executive summary that we were required to analyze was written after President Clinton appointed the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments in 1994 to investigate reports of numerous unethical radiation experiments that were funded by the U.S. government. The final report was written to primarily discern whether or not any remedies are due to those who were wronged by the government in the past regarding human experimentation, and also to recognize what lessons can be learned

While healthy babies are born every day, not everyone is so fortunate. In many cases, diagnostic radiology is required for patients during their childhood. Can having this radiation during the formative years lead to adverse effects later in life? The biggest concern from radiation is the risk of cancer. Cancer can occur at any dose from ionizing radiation because it is a stochastic effect, meaning that it is probabilistic. The probability of a stochastic effect, such as cancer, increases as the dose increases. While receiving this radiation may be necessary, it can cause some serious trouble later in life, such as breast cancer, leukemia, and thyroid cancer.

There are radioactive elements in the earth’s crust, and there are cosmic rays pelting your scalp. Your body can repair the damage almost all the time, but if you add a lot of excess radiation from a CT scanner, you increase your risks. Every CT results in a lifetime risk of cancer. About 2% of the total 1.7 million cancers in the US are thought to have been caused by diagnostic radiation. In this project I will explain how the radiation level in CTs affect the risks of getting cancer, how it effect the world today, and how doctors and phytologist are coming up with solutions to this

Ionizing radiation exposure is a well known risk factor that is not only unique to ALL but to many other cancers. Fetus exposure to radiation in the early stages of development may increase risk of ALL in the exposed child however the magnitude of the risk is unknown. Ionizing radiation can affect a child at all stages of development from preconception, pregnancy and postnataly. Radiation can come in many forms for example radiation on a fetus can occur via x-ray or CT scan, therefore most physicinas avoid having pregnant women take these diagnostic test under most circumstances (American Cancer Society). There have been studies that suggest paternal ionizing radiaton exposure may also play a role in the risk of ALL in offspring. One such study was conducted in the United Kingdom and examined children living in Sellafield located near a powerplant and fathers working at the

Computed Tomography (CT) is an excellent tool in the medical field for the detection of diseases and injuries. Since its initial introduction in the 1970s, it has revolutionized imaging techniques which were limited, and over time it has grown more powerful with advances in technology. These improvements have led to more detailed images, and faster imaging speeds, but it also led to a huge popularity among the technology. This popularity has spiked its usage over the last quarter of contrary, leading to better diagnosis’s and also exposing more patients and to multiple scan, with compounding radiation. The radiation in CT scans is much higher than natural exposure and even X-rays, which has led many scholar to view the technology as a possible concern over how much radiation it is exposing the public too. The review mentions a 2005 report, “CT scans only consisted of 11% of all medical x-ray exposures, but contributed to 67% of the general populations total radiation dose.” Those are staggering and worrisome figures especially when this radiation is compounded during other scans and

A CT scan, also known as computed tomography, utilises the computed compiling of many X-rays taken from all different directions around an object in order to form tomographic images of precise areas of the object, allowing one to see inside the object without incision. Because of the involvement with gamma rays in the process of a CT scan, there is an, albeit small, increase in the risk of developing cancer every time a scan is performed. This small payoff is almost always worth it, as CT scans play a huge part in not only modern medical imaging, but has more recently been

For most living organisms, humans included, radiation is considered dangerous if it has the ability to ionize other molecules, as this damages the cells and molecules critical to survival. On the surface of the Earth, humans tend to experience radiation in the forms of alpha, beta, or gamma particles (8), or through ultraviolet waves. An alpha particle is a helium nucleus, consisting of two protons and two neutrons, a beta particle is an electron, and gamma particles are high energy and high speed energy packets (8).

The link between cancer and medically recommended x-rays has become more recognizable over the past decade or so. Involving the public in making them aware should be part of the responsibility of the physicians. distributing information of this magnitude will potentially save the lives of millions. People should be aware of the effects of having an over abundant amount of annual x-rays. These effects however, are only in the very extreme cases of server misuse of radiation or having an immense amount of x-rays taken over a long period of time. Studies recently done in the United States proves that over an extended period of time, the amount of radiation received from the x-rays causes the formation of mutated cells

Since the technologies being used only bounce waves of the body surface, this leaves then skin highly exposed to concentrated amounts of radiation. Health side effect studies of full body scanners have been labeled classified and inaccessible to the general public. Four professors from the University of California- San Francisco, whom are well respected cancer, X-ray crystallographers and imaging experts stated in a letter to the Obama administration that, “The low-energy rays do a “Compton scatter” off tissue layers just under the skin, possibly exposing some vital areas and leaving the tissues at risk of mutation. When an X-ray Compton scatters, it doesn’t shift an electron to a higher energy level; instead, it hits the electron hard enough to dislodge it from its atom.” The authors note that this process is “likely breaking bonds,” which could cause mutations in cells and raise the risk of cancer (Johnston). Furthermore, the UCSF researchers write in their letter, “older passengers are more susceptible to mutagenic effects of X-rays, and “the risk of

radiation (the kind used in X-rays) is known to cause cancer at high doses, the risks of

For decades, the effects of radiation has been studied by doctors around the world. X-rays are used in the medical and dental field to take radiographs of certain parts of a person's body. Some have become concerned of the long term and short term effects of having x-rays taken because of the radiation that is exposed. Since the rise of concern, studies have been done to find any type of link between cancer and radiation from x-rays. Specifically, in dental x-rays, researchers have been performing studies trying to prove that radiation from x-rays in the dental office can cause cancer .

Ionization - The condition of being dissociated into ions by heat, electrical discharge, radiation, or chemical reaction.