Procedure
The procedure of an X-ray examination is generally known. You should remember to remove all metallic objects (jewelry) in order not to endanger the assessability of the X-ray image.
Side effects
X-rays represent an enormously important step in the diagnosis of many diseases. For this reason, it is impossible to imagine everyday medical life without this form of imaging. Nevertheless, the decision to take an X-ray should not be taken lightly and the respective indication should be well thought through.
In addition, special care should be taken to ensure that no double images are taken. This problem is particularly prevalent in the field of dentistry. X-rays are generally a safe procedure and the radiation exposure is quite low compared to the natural radiation exposure from the environment.
Nevertheless, particularly frequent X-rays can lead to side effects. Although this diagnostic method is not referred to as direct side effects, the radiation exposure can still affect individual body cells. However, the effects of the cellular changes usually only become apparent after several years.
For this reason, every patient should have an X-ray passport and carry it with them when visiting the doctor. This passport must contain a record of all images taken. In this way, unnecessary radiation exposure due to repeated x-rays can be avoided.
One of the most decisive side effects of X-rays is the influence on the human genome. If a patient is frequently exposed to X-rays, mutations occur at the DNA level. In most cases, these mutations can be eliminated by the body’s natural DNA repair system and damaged sections can be restored.
However, if this repair system is damaged due to excessive radiation exposure, or if there are several mutations at similar locations, correct or complete repair is no longer possible. As a result, tumors can develop years after the actual exposure. One special form of X-ray, computed tomography, is considered particularly dangerous in this regard.
This fact can be explained by the fact that a single computed tomography image releases a significantly higher radiation dose than the production of a normal X-ray image. In addition, when using X-ray methods in which a so-called contrast medium is administered, care must be taken to ensure that the patient’s medical history is completely recorded. This is particularly important since the most common contrast media have a high iodine content.
If a contrast medium containing iodine is administered to a person with hyperthyroidism, a thyrotoxic crisis can be provoked as a side effect. This is one of the most common direct side effects of X-rays. The thyrotoxic crisis should be regarded as a potentially life-threatening secondary disease and the affected patient should be admitted to hospital immediately.
Even during pregnancy, it may become necessary to take X-rays after accidents or in the case of certain diseases. During pregnancy, however, the respective indication for X-rays must be carefully considered. Any unnecessary imaging must be urgently avoided for the benefit of the child growing up in the womb.
This also applies to the preparation of dental X-rays. In order to reduce the risk of the need for X-rays during pregnancy, preventive measures can be taken if there is a desire to have children. A dental example of such preventive measures is the collection of a comprehensive dental status with the preparation of an X-ray overview before pregnancy.
In this way, dental treatment can be completed early and the development of inflammatory processes within the oral cavity, which are usually difficult to treat without X-rays, can be prevented. X-rays during pregnancy should therefore be avoided if possible.Nevertheless, women for whom the taking of X-rays during pregnancy is unavoidable should note that the risk of actual damage to the growing child is rather low. The radiation exposure of most X-ray examinations is simply not high enough to have a negative effect on the development of the unborn child.
For this reason, there is no objection to urgently needed x-rays, for example after an accident. This is especially true for body parts that are very far away from the uterus. These include above all the arms, legs and chest.
Other parts of the body, on the other hand, are at increased risk due to their proximity to the uterus during pregnancy. For this reason, for example, pelvic radiography during pregnancy should only be carried out if there is a significant risk to the health of the mother and/or child if it is not done. Also the taking of X-rays of the intestines, urinary tract and trunk should be carefully considered during pregnancy.
In general, the treating physician should be informed about the existing pregnancy. Before an X-ray examination is performed, the medical staff is even obliged to explicitly ask women of childbearing age about the existence of a pregnancy. The wearing of a special lead apron to protect against scattered X-rays is also useful outside of pregnancy.
Although the risk to the unborn child is relatively low, the possible side effects of X-ray examinations during pregnancy should be pointed out. In general, the risk of X-rays is somewhat increased, especially at the beginning of pregnancy. During the first few weeks after fertilisation of the egg, regular implantation of the foetus can be prevented by high radiation exposure.
In later stages of the pregnancy, X-rays can influence the maturation of the organs of the growing child. In rare cases, malformations and maldevelopments of individual organs or entire organ systems may therefore occur. The more advanced the pregnancy is at the time of the X-ray, the lower the risk of malformations developing.
Furthermore, some doctors suspect that there may be a connection between X-rays taken during pregnancy and a later cancerous disease of the child. However, these theories have not yet been sufficiently proven. In summary, it can be said that although X-rays during pregnancy should only be taken under certain indications, they are far from being as dangerous as is often claimed.
In many parts of the body, X-rays during pregnancy are even completely harmless if a lead apron is worn. The risk of radiation exposure during pregnancy should always be weighed up against the risk of not taking the images.
