8/8/2023 0 Comments Radiation and ct scans![]() For example, a lead apron can be used to protect parts of your chest or abdomen from getting radiation, and a lead collar (known as a thyroid shield or thyroid collar) can be used to protect your thyroid gland. If you do need to have a test that will expose you to some radiation, ask if there are ways to shield the parts of your body that aren’t being imaged. The best advice at this time is to get only the imaging tests that are needed and try to limit your exposure to all forms of radiation. You may also want to know what you and your health care provider can expect to learn from it. Ask whether the test is needed and if it’s the best one to use in your case. If you have concerns about the radiation you may get from a CT scan, PET scan, or any other imaging test that uses radiation, talk to your health care provider. What can I do if I’m worried about radiation from imaging tests? Studies have found that the amount of radiation you get can vary a great deal. Keep in mind that these are estimates for an average-sized adult. This is equal to about 8 years of average background radiation exposure. A PET/CT exposes you to about 25 mSv of radiation.A CT scan of the abdomen (belly) and pelvis exposes a person to about 10 mSv.A lower GI series using x-rays of the large intestine exposes a person to about 8 mSv, or about the amount expected over about 3 years.Some other imaging tests have higher exposures, for example: A mammogram exposes a woman to 0.4 mSv, or about the amount a person would expect to get from natural background exposure over 7 weeks.This is about the same amount of radiation people are exposed to naturally over the course of about 10 days. A single chest x-ray exposes the patient to about 0.1 mSv.The amount of radiation exposure from an imaging test depends on the imaging test used and what part of the body is being tested. How much does an imaging test expose a person to radiation? And a 10-hour airline flight increases cosmic ray exposure by about 0.03 mSv. ![]() So, people living in the higher parts of New Mexico and Colorado are exposed to more radiation per year (about 1.5 mSv more) than people living closer to sea level. This means being at a higher altitude increases a person’s exposure. Location also plays a role because the earth’s atmosphere blocks some cosmic rays. Radon levels vary greatly from one part of the country to another. The largest source of background radiation (typically about 2 mSv per year) is radon, a natural gas found in our homes. (A millisievert is a measure of radiation exposure.) But background radiation exposure varies throughout the United States, and the world. ![]() The average American is exposed to about 3 mSv ( millisieverts) of radiation from natural sources over the course of a year. This is called background radiation and it varies across the country. We are constantly exposed to radiation from a number of sources, including radioactive materials in our environment, radon gas in our homes, and cosmic rays from outer space. How much radiation is the average person exposed to in day-to-day life? Here are answers to some of the more common questions people have about radiation risks linked to imaging tests. The low doses of radiation used for imaging tests might increase a person’s cancer risk slightly, but it’s important to put this risk into perspective. In large doses, radiation can cause serious tissue damage and increase a person’s risk of later developing cancer. ![]()
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