DANGEROUS EFFECTS OF X-RAYS Leanna Gower Every year, seven out of ten Americans get an X-ray done, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They’re an easy way for doctors to see what’s wrong without any invasive surgeries or procedures. However, how many of those Americans know all of the risks? Many don’t bat an eye when met with a request for an X-ray because it has become standard practice. X-rays are useful for many things, such as monitoring ongoing conditions or diseases like scoliosis, arthritis, and osteoporosis or figuring out why someone might be feeling pain. “X-rays might be a bit of a crutch for doctors to use in order to diagnose a patient, but I also don’t know of any better alternatives that would replace the practice,” said Nolan Scheetz, a senior at Carlmont who has had so many X-rays, that he’s lost count. As people have accepted X-ray imaging technology into their lives, the FDA has recognized that sometimes people get X-rays taken that aren’t medically needed. Though they can be great tools for maintaining good health, overexposure to radiation can negatively affect your health and even increase your risk of getting cancer later in life. “They’ve offered X-rays before, and my mom has been like, ‘Can we do this any other way?’ Just because I’ve already had so many,” said Meg Cotton, a senior at Carlmont who’s
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