KARACHI: Harmful effects of X-rays

[Published in DAWN]

KARACHI, Oct 29: There could be harmful effects of X-rays on patients, paramedics and general public visiting the hospitals.

Such harmful effects were known almost immediately after they were discovered, an Indian doctor said.

“If judiciously used, X-rays are not harmful otherwise they can cause havoc,” Dr Sneh Bhargava, Radiologist at Sitaram Bhartia Institute, Delhi, told a TV channel.

As far as the human body is concerned there are three systems, which are affected by X-rays. First, is the genitalia, which if affected may have a negative effect on the progeny. The other main system that is affected is the skin. You can get a rash, hair loss and apart from being cosmetically harmful, they also predispose to cancer. The third system that is affected is the blood. If the red blood cells are affected, you can suffer from anaemia and if the white blood cells are affected, they can attack your immune system and make you vulnerable to various diseases, Dr Bhargava said.

X-rays are electromagnetic radiations in a wave form just like gamma, ultraviolet, infrared and radio waves. The only difference is that they have a different wavelength and because of this difference they have different properties. X-rays, for instance, can pass through wood and the human body just like light can pass through glass. When X-rays pass through the body, a part of it is absorbed and some part goes right through. For instance, the bone in an X-ray looks white whereas the lungs in an X-ray look black.

A patient should be exposed to an X-ray only when doctors need more information than what just a physical examination can give. However, X-ray should not be repeated before three months.

Radiation worker must protect himself against the main beam of X-rays. One can stand behind a lead screen to avoid the harmful effect of X-rays. The lead completely absorbs the X-rays and you are safe.

If you are a radiologist, you must wear lead gloves and apron.

A proper machine should have no leakage. Every machine should be checked annually by a trained physicist. They can record whether or not there is any leakage with a dosimeter or with a film. It is necessary that you have a physicist check the equipment. If the machine is off, there is no leakage and if the machine is on, rays must go through a specific point and not get scattered anywhere.

X-rays should not be done during pregnancy. There is no question of doing abdominal X-ray nowadays because ultrasound is available. If you want to know anything about the baby, the correct method is the ultrasound. Ultrasound is totally safe, as it has no ionising properties like X-rays.

Today, with other types of non-ionising radiations available like ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, X-rays should be used minimally.–PPI

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