X-rays, CT, nuclear medicine and angiography are types of medical imaging scans that use radiation. Radiation is energy that travels as waves and tiny particles through air and some materials.
Each day you are exposed to radiation from natural and artificial sources. Every year, everyone living in Australia receives background radiation that is equivalent to the radiation dose from 50–100 simple chest X-rays.
Medical imaging scans involving radiation can give your doctor important and even life-saving information about your health. But like many things, radiation has risks as well as benefits. Scans involving radiation will only be considered if the result is required for your medical care and the information obtained is not available from other tests that don’t use radiation such as MRI or Ultrasound.
If you have any further concerns, you should discuss this with your doctor.