Future brain tumor worry

[itgetsbetter]

So I've struggled with health anxiety since age eight. I'd put it down for a long time—almost a couple of years. But then I came across this research saying that childhood exposure to dental x-rays, especially panoramic ones before age 10, seriously multiplies your brain tumor risk in the future. The worst part is that all the anticancer nutrition research is no comfort since these tumors are usually benign. But a brain tumor is a brain tumor, and I don't want one. I love my brain. Of all things to get, I DO NOT WANT that.

I'm freaking out. I remember having 3 of these panoramic x-rays in child/teenhood, and one of them was before I was 10. So I'm terrified now that I'm a ticking brain tumor time bomb. I have no idea what the first x-ray was for (routine dental checkup possibly), the second was for when I was considered for braces I didn't end up needing at 10, and the third was before I got my wisdom teeth out at age 17.

I'm almost 24. I have no idea if these studies were done with older people, or how much the radiation technology has improved over the past 30 years. Could the dosage actually have been lower than I'm hoping? Could the health food diet I adopted three years ago do anything to prevent this? Can brain cells reverse damage like this like lung cells can if you quit smoking? I'm not sure, because they were sounding like earlier exposure is worse than later. Why would they even say that?

I'm vegetarian, eat lots of mostly organic fruits and vegetables, drink kombucha, saturate myself in coconut oil, take good quality vitamins, and minimize my processed food intake. I do eat bread, dairy, and sugar, but not even approaching the levels of the standard American diet. Kale and mushrooms are my favorite foods.

Still, I am freaking out. I can't deal with risk, especially if there's nothing I can do to re-lower the raised chances. Please help.

[Nicholebear]

If you had a brain tumor you would know it. Live in the now. Xx

24 female? I'm 23 female, so you might like this song. It always helps me calm down. https://youtu.be/SY-c-_sZ8LI

[Regnardgreeb]

The study talks about frequent exposure to radiation. That doesn't concern you, and even if it'd, you wouldn't be any healthier worrying about it.

It's our fear that we don't know what's going to happen in the future that accelerates anxiety. However, what's the point putting lots of effort to it when you don't even show any serious symtoms? Maybe a deadly virus starts spreading, or maybe a plane crashes in the building we're at the next week, month, year.. or any other accident. The chances are extremely unlikely, just as your concerns with brain tumour, but is it really worth the time thinking about it? - Replacing all the fun we can have like with friends, family and so forth that we can do - now - ?

"I never think of the future - it comes soon enough." -. Albert Einstein

I think you get my point. :)

[hi]

lol where did you heard that?youve technically been exposed to 3 4 days worth of radiation that you get just by living on earth.there is no study done except one with flaws and is not even consideret.they asked people with brain tumors if they had a xray of course people will say yes everyone has been to the dentist.and when you have a brain tumor you try to remember everything that looked suspicious compared to some random guy.even for ct scans they cant say because if there is a risk is too small to be detectable and a ct scan uses about 1 year worth of background radiation.but is still low.

[Fishmanpa]

Do all the Googling and research you want. Show me an actual documented case where medical radiation exposure is proven to be the case for cancer.

I'm a Stage IV Head and Neck cancer survivor. Guess what I was treated with? Yep... Radiation. 5 days a week for 6 weeks. Add to that a CT scan before every session to make sure the radiation beams were hitting the right spots. 30 CT scans and radiation far above what an x-ray would expose you to. Other than glowing a bit, it helped make me cancer free ;)

Worry if you wish.... It's your "choice", but it's truly an irrational fear. Seek help to better cope with the uncertainties of life. That's your path to healing.

Positive thoughts