The use of radiation in the field of medical imaging has increased dramatically over the years. It has a great number of benefits, allowing doctors to see inside of a human body without the need for invasive surgery. However, using radiation has its own risks.
X-rays and gamma rays are some of the most harmful types of radioactive particles. X-rays, used by doctors around the world, are actually absorbed by the human body. The absorption results in the death of cells in the body. Depending on the amount of time that a person is exposed, the strength of the source, and the distance they are from the source, the radiation may be able to make its way inside of the body.
Once inside the body, there is a possibility of damage to the cells of internal organs which may cause death. The human body tends to shed radiation at a very slow rate; sometimes not at all. This means that a person could develop radiation sickness and potentially die.
In fact, the reason that x-rays work in medical imaging is because the particles are able to pass directly through the soft tissue of the body, while less of it passes through the more dense bone structure, creating the familiar image on a sensitive slide.
Fortunately, very dense substances are able to act as shields against the harmful rays. The most common element used is lead. Lead is very dense, and at a certain thickness stops nearly all radioactive particles from passing through.
For this reason, doctors, patients and technologists always wear a lead apron when working with machines that generate radioactive particles. The x-ray aprons, when fitted properly, will protect the wearer from any damaging effects.
It is important for patients receiving the x-rays to wear the aprons as well. There are a wide variety of them for many different situations. The patient must protect the parts of their body that do not need to be exposed to the radioactivity. The staff must be protected because they are working with the machines far more often than the patient and risk much higher levels of exposure.
With the proliferation of medical imaging involving radioactive particles, it is no surprise that lead aprons now come in a variety of sizes, colors and styles. There are even aprons which are specially designed for pregnant medical personnel.
Medical imaging has come a very long way and continues to progress. The use of lead aprons as radiation protection is a part of what makes the use of x-rays possible.
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