| X-Rays - What You Don't See & Feel Can
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| | may be ignored or delayed by cellular
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| Hurt Youby: Dr Randy Wysong
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| | repair mechanisms. High doses that kill
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| There is little doubt that x-ray
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| | cells, preventing them from unbridled
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| technology (x-rays, CT scans,
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| | reproduction (cancer), might be better
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| fluoroscopy) in medicine has done much
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| | than the low doses. But high doses create
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| good and is an invaluable diagnostic
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| | low dose scatter and more widespread
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| tool. Although I seriously question its
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| | potential damage.
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| usefulness as a therapeutic tool (e.g.
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| | How's that for a confusing mess?
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| cancer radiation therapy), that will not
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| | The point is that even the experts aren't
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| be the focus of this article.
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| | sure of the degree of damage. But they
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| X-rays are high-energy nuclear emissions
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| | all are sure of the damage. We should
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| that have the ability to pass right
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| | take the hint.
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| through tissue and leave an image on a
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| | Unfortunately technicians and
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| film, called a radiograph (the film
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| | radiologists do not always critically
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| itself is not an "x-ray"). Less emission
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| | control x-ray dosing. They are concerned
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| gets through denser tissue like bone, and
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| | with diagnostic images that are easy to
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| more goes through soft tissue to darken
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| | read, not so much with what the x-rays
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| the film. This results in the contrast,
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| | are doing as they are not so gently
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| the picture of our insides, seen on the
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| | perambulating through your tissues. Since
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| films - light areas are dense tissues,
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| | adverse effects are not immediate and
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| darker areas are less dense.
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| | would be impossible to tie to the
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| That little lesson in radiology aside,
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| | techniques used, caution can be pretty
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| it's what the x-ray does as it passes
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| | much thrown to the wind. People do not
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| through the body that should be of
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| | always behave in your best interests if
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| concern to all. The high-energy x-ray
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| | there are no consequences to them for
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| particles can wreak havoc on their
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| | their actions. I am not saying this
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| journey through tissue. When they hit
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| | always occurs and that medical personnel
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| electrons they confer upon them high
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| | are not concerned for your safety, just
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| levels of unnatural energy. Like a bull
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| | alerting you to the fact the door is wide
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| in a china shop, these electrons can
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| | open for sloppy work.
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| cause mutations including deletions and
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| | It is estimated that dose reduction, beam
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| translocations of DNA material. The
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| | collimation (control), rare-earth screens
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| wreckage is often beyond the capability
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| | and filtration, carbon fiber materials,
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| of DNA repair mechanisms. The resulting
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| | more extensive lead shielding, decrease
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| instability of the chromosome is a
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| | in contrast resolution and use of a
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| precursor to cancer. Cancer is, in
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| | pulsed system in digital radiography and
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| effect, the inability of a cell to any
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| | an array of constraining techniques in
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| longer know its place and behave within
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| | fluoroscopy could reduce exposure by
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| its normal constraints. The control
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| | several fold.
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| mechanism for cell behavior is the
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| | That's what they can do. What you can do
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| genetic material with which x-rays and
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| | is not submit to x-rays unless absolutely
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| their misbehaving electron progeny play
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| | necessary. Don't run to the emergency
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| havoc.
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| | room every time you stub your toe or feel
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| This sounds like free-radical activity,
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| | an ache. Don't do everything physicians
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| but is different in that it is far more
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| | say without question. Find dentists who
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| energetic and potentially damaging. The
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| | will only take x-rays when it can be
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| body has mechanisms in place to scavenge
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| | proven to you it is absolutely necessary.
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| and quench free radicals, but x-ray
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| | Offer to sign liability waivers if they
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| energy is several orders in magnitude
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| | want. Tell them you have already had too
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| beyond those neutralizing capabilities.
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| | many x-rays and you know the dangers are
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| X-ray mutational damage can kill a cell
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| | cumulative.
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| or alter it. If the cell is altered, that
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| | The bottom line is that the vast majority
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| change stays with it since the genetic
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| | of x-rays are unnecessary and physicians
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| material will replicate the error. If
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| | know it. Any experienced practitioner can
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| more damage to the genetic material
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| | usually tell you what's wrong (usually
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| occurs, the results are additive.
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| | nothing that will not cure itself with a
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| Remember that. Radiation damage is
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| | little time) before they even see you,
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| cumulative. It never goes away, it is
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| | and with a little history taking and
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| just added to until the cell dies or the
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| | palpation (touchy-feely) they can get
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| genetic aberration results in cancer and
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| | even closer. But they are hesitant
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| resultant organism death.
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| | (understandably) to give you their
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| There is NO safe level of radiation. It
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| | experienced wisdom because they are
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| is a risk versus benefit game as is all
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| | worried about their liability (rightly
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| of medicine.
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| | so), not your chromosomal damage which
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| There are those within the medical
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| | will not show up for years and would by
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| community who argue (with substantial
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| | then be impossible to relate to their
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| supporting data) that the 300 million or
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| | x-rays.
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| so x-rays taken each year add up to a
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| | So you must take control over your own
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| very significant factor in cancer
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| | body. You make the decision about x-rays,
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| mortality and even atherosclerosis. The
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| | and any other medical intervention for
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| latter is a result of mutational damage
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| | that matter, by getting informed.
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| in the endothelium (coronary blood vessel
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| | Weigh the risk versus the benefit. And
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| wall) to create a mini tumor nidus from
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| | remember, any medical intervention is a
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| which an atherosclerotic plaque emerges.
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| | risk.
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| Since x-rays always cause damage, and the
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| | References:
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| damage is related to the number and
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| | Gofman, JW, Radiation from Medical
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| strength of exposures, the obvious
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| | Procedures in the Pathogenesis of Cancer
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| solution is to have fewer x-rays and
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| | and Ischemic Heart Disease: Dose-Response
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| lower dose x-rays. But don't get real
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| | Studies with Physicians per 100,000
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| comfortable with that either. Recent
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| | Population, Committee for Nuclear
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| research has shown that repair of low
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| | Responsibility, San Francisco, CA, 1999.
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| dose radiation damage to genetic material
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