Lead aprons for x-rays? please help?

why do people sometimes wear lead aprons when receiving x-rays? i think it has something to do with protection but i'm not sure.

Wow. First off, X-Rays are the radiation they don't contain radiation. Second, the lead apron doesn't protect the thyroid unless the apron is around your neck. X-Rays don't "like to hang around in soft tissue" they just pass through and maybe bounce off a few atoms or molecules imparting a minute amount of energy to those atoms and molecules.

Yes the lead apron is to protect the parts of the body that the doctor doesn't need to see from the effects of radiation. I may be remembering incorrectly but I think 1" thick lead plate cuts the amount of X-Rays by 10%. The amount of radiation that you receive from the average X-Ray (the procedure not the radiation) is on the order of 100 milliREM. You're max allowable dose of radiation for any one year is 5 REM.

Anything else?

IT PROTECTS YOU FROM ANY STRAY RADIATION FROM THE RADIOGRAPH.

THE AMOUNT OF RADIATION IS MINIMAL BUT IS CUMULATIVE.

Yes, protection.

Protection. X-Rays have the potential do damage cells. This has the biggest potential to be a problem for those of child-bearing age if it damages their sperm or egg cells, and those cells subsequently produce a baby.

It is more likely to be retarded, have six fingers on one hand, or stuff like that.

x-rays love hanging out in soft tissue...so lead covers the soft tissue of your body.

It is because x-rays contain radiation. The lead aprons serve to protect the body from the radiation emitted by the x-rays.

you don't want fried balls do you?

You are correct, lead aprons protect the patient from harmful x-rays that can sterilize people making them incapable of having children.

Their worn to keep your exposure to unnessary radiation to a minimum. I had a broken collar bone when I was six, they didn't use aprons then, I found out I have thyroid cancer four years ago, its from my thryoid being exposed to the radiation when they xrayed my shoulder.

To protect internal organs such as ovaries and thyroid from to much radiation. in women it can be for possible pregancy issues.

A lead apron is to protect you from the radiation used to creat x-rays. While the amount you receive is minimal, the apron is to help eliminate this exposure to your vital organs. That's why x-ray techs go behind lead walls before taking the xray!

X-Rays contains radiation in small amount however if you are a person that does this for a job those small amounts add up the apron is lead radiation cant go through it yes it is a protective device

It helps with the radiation. Lead is something that helps keep the radiation from pentrating your body.

Xrays don't penetrate lead. The people working aroung them are worried about total exposure - measured in Roentegs (sp?). No need to worry if you're not around it all the time.

The only material that blocks all types of radition is a thick peice of lead. Lead aprons may not completely stop the radition but that is not the intention the intention is to make shure the person that is being exrayed does not receive too much of the radiation as it can damage tissue and bones.

To help from becoming infertile

yes it is for protection, especially if you're pregnant. the rays may be harmful to the infant.

The lead aprons are to protect the patient from radiation. It also protects people's reproductive organs.

Although you could have 100,000 chest x-rays before you died why take the radiation from one when you don't need it? I where a lead apron in my field all the time. Not having one isn't going to make me melt away but continuously not wearing it while being exposed to the radiation has the potential to cause many kinds of problems. The first being skin eurythemia (redness/buring of the skin.) The most sensitive areas of your body are the reproductive organs as well as your thyroid. X-ray technologist will put an apron on you if your within a child bearing age so as to avoid legal ramifications. When x-raying the elderly we seldom protect them because of the small amount of radiation used in diagnostic xrays. CT radiation would be far more as it uses a great deal over a long period of time. For example, a chest xray takes about .01 sec of radiation at a pretty small dose. A CT is a great bit longer with much larger dose, 3-10 sec.

In reality if your having an X-ray or your child is, ask to please use an apron if they aren't, but most technologists i've worked with are usually pretty good about doing it and can sometimes be offended when people ask before having the xray done. Its what they've been to school for they do know, the problem is some tech's are just lazy.

To protect your body from multiple doses of radiation which then mounts up in your system and can cause many illness's and diseases.

Lead aprons are used to block stray x-rays from affecting parts of the body that are not being examined. The lead is an effective shield for gamma radiation (x-rays)

LOL...haven't you ever watched superman? xray can't go through lead!

The lead aprons block the xrays from reaching the covered area. For example, when getting an xray of the mouth, a lead apron covers the chest to protect it.

High levels of xrays can destroy tissue, so it's best to avoid exposure as much as possible. Ths is the reason for the protection of the lead apron.

By the way, there are x-ray machines for dental offices that use much less radiation. I haven't used a lead apron at my dentist for years. I was told that machine used less radiation than a person would be exposed to if in the sun for the same amount of time. So it's something people should ask about when visiting the dentist to see if they are willing to begin using the newer equipment.

Lead blocks x-rays. The aprons are for limiting the possibility of overexposure to the x-rays, which can damage the cells in your body (they are radiation after all).

Yes it is for protection, the lead reflects the radiation much the way a mirror reflects light. The lead aprons are worn to protect a person's vital and reproductive organs, as radiation can cause cancer and mutation. This can be very bad if a woman is pregnant.

X-rays are a form of radiation. The lead apron blocks x-rays. You wear it for a couple of important reasons. It protects your gonads/ovaries from possible damage/mutation of your sex cells (sperm or egg) and alsoyour cellular DNA from possible damage/mutation. On a perverse historical note, the Nazi's used x-rays to sterilize some concentration camp prisoners.

Pregnant women need the lead apron to help protect the fetus from X-Rays. Men must protect their genital area to prevent the sperm from X-ray exposure.

lead aprons to protect them form the radation in x-rays

To keep vital organs for overexposure to damaging radiation.

The apron imits our exposure to the radiological waves that can be dangerous to our health. The effects are cumulative. The less exposure the less likely you will be to get a cancer related to the exposure.

Well because an overexposure to X-Ray machine can leave men sterile. Also a lot of doctors suggest that if you are pregnant you shouldn't be near X-rays because it can cause physical deformations on the child and it can even cause for a miscarriage.