Chest X-Ray
Risks
Medical tests, including chest X-rays, shouldn’t be ordered unless they can provide information unavailable through simpler, safer methods. While the exposure to radiation (including X-rays) is worthy of concern, the amount of radiation exposure in a chest X-ray is minimal. A single chest X-ray exposes patients to about the same amount of radiation that they're exposed to in nature, with ultraviolet radiation (sun exposure) over the course of about 10 days.1 A few X-rays a year aren't believed to cause harm. However, if you’re pregnant, notify your doctor, as X-rays aren’t typically performed on pregnant patients because of the risk to the baby.