Worried about radiation from ct scan

[emmc]

I’ve had a ct scan and an x ray in the last month and I’m worried it’s going to give me cancer from all the radiation. I’ve also had c rays at the dentist too this month because I didn’t know how to tell them now. Now I’m stressing I’ve had way too much.

[BlueIris]

These tests wouldn't be offered if they weren't safe.

[nomorepanic]

You are fine - there is hardly any radiation in those x-rays etc. You would get more going on a plane for example.

[ErinKC]

Several years ago I had emergency abdominal surgery. In the process of diagnosis and recovery I had 5 CT scans in a matter of days. Since then, I've been in the room with my daughter when she had a CT scan as a young child, and had at least 2 or 3 others. At one time, I got very worried about the amount of radiation, so I did some research. First, just one CT scan and a dental x-ray is not of any concern. But, some people have worried that many CTs over through life will increase their risk of cancer. However, the study I read showed that those studies that c look to prospective risk by cumulating the amount of radiation over time are not accurate because they do not account for the way our body processes and disposes of radiation in small doses. Most of the data used in original studies uses radiation exposure from things like Hiroshima and Nagasaki, then looks at how many scan a person had in their lives, adds it up and compares the total amount to the totals in mass radiation exposure events to extrapolate what the negatives effects would be. But, the study I read found that this is not the right way to do it because being exposed to small doses of radiation throughout your life is not the same as being exposed to that same total amount at one time. Every time we get a small dose of radiation our bodies manage it and repair themselves, so the next time we're exposed it doesn't create a cumulative effect.

Anyway, that's a long way of saying that one CT and one dental x-ray is not going to harm you because your body can handle it. And if you get another dental x-ray next year, you're body will have managed the prior radiation dose and no additional harm will occur.