X-ray Risks

X-rays are a type of invisible electromagnetic radiation and create no sensation when they pass through the body. Modern x-ray techniques use only a fraction of the x-ray dose required in the early days of radiology.
Special care is taken during x-ray examinations to ensure maximum safety for the patient by shielding the abdomen and pelvis with a lead apron, with the exception of those examinations in which the abdomen and pelvis are being imaged. Women should always inform their doctor or x-ray technologist if there is any possibility that they are pregnant.
During a procedure, a patient is exposed to approximately 20 milliroentgen (one-thousandth of a roentgen) of radiation. This compares with the 100 milliroentgens of radiation we are all exposed to each year from sources such as the ultraviolet rays of the sun and the traces of uranium found in the soil.