How dangerous are x-rays? i had some x-rays done in the emergency room and now im scared theyll give me cancer. can they?

Plain : Plain films like chest x-rays have such a low radiation dose that the risk of developing cancer or having any other complications because of these studies is almost zero. Ct scans, which require much higher radiation doses, have a higher risk of causing long-term injuries than plain x-rays, but are still very safe. Mri and ultrasound do not use x-ray energy and have no known risk of long-term injury. Whenever you have an x-ray or ct scan, it's a good idea to verify with your doctor that he or she has a specific question in mind. That is, he or she should be specifically looking for something when ordering the exam. It's also important to ask the radiology technologist to cover areas of your body that are not being looked at. X-rays beams do not travel in a straight line. Like visible light, they scatter over a wide area. That means that an x-ray of one part of your body will also expose the rest of your body to some x-ray energy. Having a lead shield over your pelvis (to protect ovaries and testicles) and your neck (to protect the thyroid) is always a good idea.

No: Diagnostic x-rays are very low energy and the amount of damage possible is not enough to cause cancer. Repeated whole body doses of x-rays in a concentrated period of time have a small risk over statistical lifetimes and populations when repeated in high volume.