Fluorography during menstruation: pros and cons. Fluorography during pregnancy: a dangerous accident or urgent need Fluorography during pregnancy

If a doctor orders a pregnant woman to undergo such a serious examination as fluorography, she immediately has many questions and concerns about this. And this is quite obvious, because X-ray examination carries a certain risk not only for the woman, but also for the baby. To understand how dangerous this procedure is for a pregnant woman and whether fluorography can be done during pregnancy, let’s take a closer look at this issue.

A study called fluorography is based on the ability of x-rays to penetrate muscle and bone tissue, showing the condition of internal organs and bones. This method is used to prevent or diagnose such a serious disease as tuberculosis of the lungs and bones. Also, using fluorography, various types of cysts, foci of infection, structural changes, diseases of bones, muscles and heart are determined.

For prevention, patients are recommended to take routine x-rays once a year. If a person is at risk, that is, often comes into contact with possible carriers of the tuberculosis bacillus, fluorography is performed every 6 months.

This type of diagnosis begins to be carried out starting from the age of fifteen. Until this time, a more gentle procedure is prescribed - ultrasound. Also, you should not perform fluorography during pregnancy, however, with the exception of emergency situations. In this case, the safest period is considered to be after the 25th gestational week, when the baby is already fully formed. But the lactation period is not a strong contraindication to fluorography, but the risk of milk loss is quite high.

On a note! Most experts claim that modern fluorographic devices emit a very small dose of radiation, so the risk of pathology in the fetus is almost zero. But this statement does not apply in any way to the old equipment of the last century, which can often be found in clinics.

Is it possible to do fluorography during pregnancy?

The use of fluorography during pregnancy is a very controversial issue. On the one hand, with the help of fluorography it is often possible to timely diagnose dangerous diseases in pregnant women at the earliest stages of gestation. This helps prevent serious complications for mother and baby in the future. But on the other hand, X-rays penetrate deep into the female body and can affect the process of cell division and growth in the baby, which can result in congenital anomalies or pregnancy failure. Therefore, regardless of the stage of pregnancy, it is impossible to predict how radiation may affect the development of the baby.

So what should a pregnant woman do if she finds herself in a difficult situation and doesn’t know whether fluorography is done during pregnancy and how it can affect the baby’s health? European doctors say that fluorography can only be done if it is impossible to confirm or refute a woman’s disease in any other way.

Advice! The use of even the most modern fluorograph must be fully justified. And if there are no compelling reasons for such a procedure, feel free to postpone it to later stages of pregnancy.

Fluorography in early pregnancy: when is it necessary?

It is definitely not recommended to undergo fluorography in the first trimester. But there are situations when this is the only way to confirm a progressive disease that needs to be treated as soon as possible, for example, if a woman has tuberculosis, a malignant neoplasm or acute pneumonia. In this case, the disease is much more dangerous for the baby than X-ray exposure.

Advice! In order not to worry about your health while pregnant, it is better to take care of yourself before conception. Therefore, it is better to have fluorography done when planning a pregnancy.

• If the woman was in close contact with people sick with tuberculosis, for example, in a hospital or at work. True, this does not mean that you need to run to the radiologist’s office and do fluorography yourself. First of all, you need to go to your doctor and tell him when and under what conditions the contact with the sick person occurred. The doctor will sensibly weigh all the circumstances and advise you on what to do.
• If the husband’s fluorography during pregnancy showed signs of focal lung damage. If tuberculosis is confirmed in the husband, the woman must undergo fluorography.
• If the family has children with a positive Mantoux test or adults with poor results of control fluorography. If at least one person in the family is a carrier of the tuberculosis bacillus, a woman during pregnancy can easily become ill due to a weakened immune system. This situation requires a face-to-face consultation with a doctor and a thorough examination of the woman.

If the need for fluorography in pregnant women is very rare, then examining the husband for tuberculosis is considered mandatory. But why do you need fluorography of your husband during pregnancy? This is done to identify the source of infection in the family. After all, if the husband is sick, then there is a high probability that the woman is also infected. Sometimes doctors recommend fluorography for all family members who live with the pregnant woman. Of course, you can refuse such a procedure by writing a corresponding statement, but the health of the woman and the unborn baby may be in danger.

Fluorography during early pregnancy: consequences for the baby

Fluorography can be called conditionally safe for a baby only from the middle of the second trimester. Until this time, the cells multiply intensively and form the entire small organism of the unborn baby. Exposure to radioactive rays can disrupt the normal process of cell division, and they will begin to mutate. But what if a woman underwent this examination even before she knew that there was someone in her tummy?

If you had no idea about your situation and had fluorography done during pregnancy, immediately notify your obstetrician-gynecologist. He will definitely ask you to find out what device the picture was taken on and what dose of radiation was used on it. Then you will definitely be referred for additional examination using ultrasound to rule out abnormalities in the development of the embryo. If the doctor has doubts, then to clarify the situation you will be sent for a consultation with a geneticist. But, such measures are carried out solely for reinsurance, and therefore should not cause much concern.

According to statistics, women may experience the following consequences from fluorography during pregnancy:

1. Pathologies of cellular structure (cell death or mutation).
2. Premature placental abruption.
3. Damage to the zygote and, as a result, pregnancy fading or spontaneous abortion.
4. Concentration of free radicals in bone tissue.
5. Malignant neoplasms in a child.
6. Defects of the lymphatic and circulatory system of the fetus.

Despite all the above-mentioned risks, there are no scientifically proven facts about the effect of modern fluorographic devices on the embryo. In most cases, this is just guesswork or reinsurance of the medical staff. But we can say with certainty that any study using radiation, including fluorography, in the first week of pregnancy can result in a miscarriage. Therefore, it is better to make every effort to avoid such risk.

Fluorography and pregnancy: how to protect yourself and your baby?

If it is necessary to conduct fluorography in the first weeks of pregnancy for medical reasons, more stringent precautions are taken:

• A woman must wear a protective apron made of lead, which will maximally protect the uterus and fetus from radiation.
• The procedure is carried out exclusively using modern fluorographic devices with a minimal dose of radiation.
• Before the procedure, a woman must undergo an examination by a geneticist, who calculates the risk of genetic abnormalities depending on the gene pool of the parents.

Fluorography during pregnancy. What else should you consider?

Before agreeing or refusing fluorography, you need to determine what will be more important in this situation and weigh the pros and cons several times:

• Digital fluorographs emit a dose of radiation tens of times less than their ancestors. In addition, the picture is taken at the level of the lungs, and therefore the waves do not enter the uterine area. But some of the radionuclides enter the blood and can penetrate to the baby through the placental barrier.
• Modern protective aprons protect the female body very well from radiation, but according to safety rules, fluorography is not carried out in the first half of the menstrual cycle, when the risk of fertilization is most likely. Therefore, you should plan a pregnancy after fluorography only for the next month.
• Fluorography is often positioned as the cause of embryo death. But this happens for many reasons, for example, through intrauterine infection or genetic abnormalities. It is not always possible to establish the true cause of such a tragedy.
• If a woman had fluorography done before the menstrual cycle was delayed, then there is no point in talking about harm to the fetus. The fertilized egg has just begun its journey to the uterus through the fallopian tubes, where it will soon begin its development.
• To this day, there are no official records about how fluorography affects pregnancy. Therefore, one can only guess whether it will have any effect on the fetus. But statistical data about the impact of untreated tuberculosis during pregnancy is very pessimistic.

Modern devices have made the procedure for x-ray examination of pregnant women much safer. But no matter how little radiation exposure is, it still poses a health hazard. Therefore, any examination, if absolutely necessary, should take place in conditions that are safe for the woman and under the supervision of an experienced specialist.

Fluorography during pregnancy. Video

Fluorography allows early detection of various abnormalities in the lungs and other organs of the chest. Therefore, this diagnostic method is considered one of the main ones both in the presence of suspicious signs and for carrying out preventive examinations.

Everyone knows that this examination is based on the effects of X-rays, and many women are concerned about the question: is it possible to do fluorography during menstruation, how this can affect the body on critical days and the reliability of the examination results.

When conducting a fluorographic examination, X-ray radiation is used in small volumes (from 0.05 to 0.5 mSv). As a result of its passage through the human body, a shadow image of the chest organs is obtained on a photo (image) or computer screen, which makes it possible to detect foreign objects in them with a size of 5 mm.

Therefore, for preventive purposes, experts recommend undergoing it once a year. Sometimes a routine medical examination or the appointment of this type of examination coincides with a woman’s critical days, and she is not sure whether fluorography can be done during menstruation.

Carrying out fluorography during menstruation - all the pros and cons

Gynecological well-being is an important moment in a woman’s life, especially when recurrent or persistent problems arise in this area. Therefore, the issue of the need to undergo fluorography during menstruation is extremely relevant. Menstruation does not have any effect on the effectiveness of the method and the reliability of the examination results.

If a woman does not have problems with the sexual, endocrine or hematological spheres, fluorography during menstruation is done without asking unnecessary questions. But at the same time, critical days occur individually for each woman and can be accompanied by a decrease in immunity, fluctuations in the level of estrogen and progesterone in the blood, and a significant deterioration in well-being.

Whether it is possible to undergo fluorography during menstruation depends on the severity of adverse symptoms and the functional state of the reproductive organs.

When fluorography is indicated even on critical days

Fluorography is mandatory if there is an urgent need.

These conditions include:

• the appearance of manifestations of pulmonary tuberculosis or other serious respiratory disease, as well as chest tumors;
• contact with a person confirmed to have tuberculosis, its signs are noted or other special tests are necessary (Mantoux test or Diaskintest in a child), indicating the likelihood of infection with mycobacteria;
• if one of your relatives or friends has recently been treated for tuberculosis;
• living in an area where there is an outbreak of tuberculosis.

In this situation, a TB doctor or therapist may insist on an immediate examination - and this is correct.

The video in this article will tell you about the main symptoms of tuberculosis.

Fluorography is banned: when and why?

But at the same time, there are situations when fluorography is not performed during menstruation, especially if this examination is of a preventive nature.

These include the following categories of women and girls:

Let us consider in more detail each of these external or internal reasons, which serve as an absolute or temporary contraindication to fluorography and a reason to postpone this type of examination.

Is it possible to perform fluorography on teenagers during menstruation?

Children and adolescents (up to 15 years) are an absolute contraindication to this type of examination. If necessary, an x-ray is prescribed - diagnostics of the chest organs and other research methods.

After the age of fifteen, fluorography is included in the list of annual examinations of adolescents, and it must be carried out mandatory. But it is important to take into account that the reproductive and endocrine systems of a teenage girl are still unstable.

Menstruation in these age groups is still irregular in most cases and is often accompanied by pain and poor health. This is due to hormonal surges and imbalances, which are especially pronounced during menstrual periods.

Therefore, exposure to radiation during this period can cause serious disruptions in the teenager’s body. Also, this procedure can adversely affect the psychological state of a girl in adolescence, cause stress, and even provoke menstrual irregularities.

In this situation, you should not undergo examination during menstruation, but postpone it until the end of your critical days or until the middle of the cycle.

Fluorography for heavy and painful menstruation - pros and cons"

Each woman's menstrual cycle is individual. In inflammatory gynecological diseases and dyshormonal changes, menstruation is accompanied by severe weakness, loss of strength and profuse bleeding from the uterus, and these manifestations can be increased by any unfavorable external irritants, including a small dose of radiation.

It is possible that even minor radiation will change blood clotting and increase the intensity of menstrual bleeding.

Fluorography and pregnancy planning

When planning conception, experts do not recommend undergoing fluorography unless absolutely necessary. Radiation of the body should be completely excluded at least a month before pregnancy - from the beginning of the menstrual cycle.

This is due to the fact that a follicle (future egg) is formed in a woman’s ovary at the end of the last menstrual period - before the start of her menstrual period. And in order to completely eliminate problems with the subsequent development of the fetus, it is necessary to limit any negative effects on the developing egg from external and internal factors.

This is especially important if the expectant mother has certain hormonal problems and miscarriage.

Fluorography, which is carried out in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (first half), can cause insufficiency in the luteal period, which will make it impossible to conceive a child. Therefore, the instructions of the observing doctor must be followed in full - this is an important factor in successful conception and a favorable course of pregnancy.

If it is necessary to conduct this type of examination, you need to choose the most gentle method (digital fluorography or x-ray diagnostics), and also use a special protective apron to significantly reduce any negative impact on the egg and eliminate disturbances in the formation of the organs of the unborn child. The cost of carelessness or lack of awareness in this matter can be too high.

Quite often, experts recommend that young women undergo FSC during menstruation, as this excludes the possibility of pregnancy. But at the same time, you need to think about the possible consequences of even a tiny dose of radiation and its effect on the hormonal balance of the female body. Negative consequences and risks are possible and must be clearly understood.

Therefore, in some cases, it is worth postponing this type of examination and conducting fluorography after the end of menstruation, when the possibility of pregnancy is completely excluded, the hormonal background is stable, and it is still far from ovulation.

In order to promptly recognize many diseases, the initial phase of which usually occurs in a latent form, one cannot do without regular fluorographic examination. This category includes all serious diseases - pulmonary, cardiovascular, endocrine, even cancer, which develop completely unnoticed, and if they are not detected and stopped in time, the matter can end very unpleasantly.

However, you should know how often you can visit the X-ray room for preventive purposes. This, in particular, depends on the nature of the suspected disease itself. For example, fluorography is very important for tuberculosis, and in order to prevent it, X-rays should be taken in a timely manner; this is a very accessible and practically safe study.

In addition, there are standards according to which a preventive medical examination to determine tuberculosis should be carried out at least once every two years.

It should be added that there are categories of people who must undergo this study more often due to epidemic requirements, for example, workers of maternity hospitals visit the X-ray room twice a year, people who are in close contact with a patient with tuberculosis. In addition, patients with chronic diseases, for example, bronchial asthma, diabetes mellitus, peptic ulcers, HIV-infected people, citizens released from correctional facilities during the first two years must also undergo fluorography twice a year.

Patients who apply with suspected tuberculosis, those living with newborns or pregnant women, as well as conscripts are examined out of turn.

During the study, a person undoubtedly comes under the influence of ionizing radiation, however, it affects only hundredths of a second. A similar dose of radiation can be obtained by sunbathing in about a week, even less.

Recently, modern digital technologies have been widely introduced, and the detector of a digital instrument has become much more sensitive, and this has made it possible to reduce the radiation dose by more than ten times, even with improved images.

Naturally, there are contraindications to this study, for example, only for special indications is fluorography allowed for children under fifteen years of age. Fluorography is strictly prohibited for pregnant women.

However, for serious indications, fluorography is allowed for women after thirty-six weeks of pregnancy, using special precautions. But in the first weeks, when the child’s organs are just developing, such studies are completely prohibited.

Radiation has the greatest effect on cells that have the ability to divide. It is during fission that they are defenseless against harm caused by external factors, including radiation. In the embryo, the cells of all organs constantly and actively divide, which distinguishes them from the cells of an adult. If a woman receives radiation in the first period of pregnancy, pregnancy is excluded. Therefore, experts recommend that women undergo fluorography during menstruation in order to have

If a woman is pregnant and, without knowing it, undergoes a fluorographic examination, we can only hope that the source of radiation influence was at a considerable distance from the uterus. In any case, immediately after confirmation of pregnancy, you should undergo a special test to identify pathologies and abnormalities of the fetus.

If there is an urgent need for a pregnant woman to undergo fluorography, it is carried out at the end of the second trimester; this period is not so dangerous for the child.

Nursing mothers can undergo fluorography on a general basis; it will not harm the baby.

If you have not undergone other radiation-related studies in a year, fluorography itself is completely incapable of harming your body.

Fluorography is one of the procedures that must be performed annually. It is taken when applying for a job or during a routine examination of personnel of various organizations, such as industrial enterprises, school and preschool educational institutions, retail outlets, and transport organizations.

Fluorography during planning Procedure
X-ray of a pregnant woman at the doctor
at the doctor's clinic at the doctor's

Every person in the Russian Federation over fifteen years of age is required to undergo fluorography once a year. The purpose of this diagnosis is to detect diseases of the lungs, heart and foci of tuberculosis in the early stages. That is why it is necessary to take care of fluorography when planning a pregnancy.

Many countries refuse fluorographic examination due to receiving a certain dose of radiation. The opinions of different experts on this matter vary. Some believe that the dose of radiation is minimal and does not affect human health in any way. Others doubt this study, since the procedure cannot always detect tuberculosis in the early stages, and a person will receive radiation in any case.

Necessary procedure

Pregnancy planning stage

Many women who are planning to conceive often doubt whether they can do a test such as fluorography when planning a pregnancy. Responsible girls who are concerned about the health of their baby in advance begin to undergo various examinations together with future fathers so that their bodies are ready for the birth of a new life.

In combination with all kinds of tests, examinations and studies, they also undergo x-rays, which allow them to assess their health status and also rule out the presence of such a dangerous disease as tuberculosis.

Doctors advise reducing the likelihood of undergoing fluorography in the early stages of pregnancy by conducting diagnostics at the beginning of the menstrual cycle. It’s better to wait one month than to be nervous throughout your entire pregnancy.

Fluorography when planning pregnancy is also necessary for the expectant father. This examination will not affect the health of the unborn baby in any way, and to be on the safe side, you can wait a few days until the sperm are renewed. Thus, you will receive a 100% guarantee that a dangerous disease will not overtake your baby at birth.

Is research allowed during pregnancy?

When they say that x-rays are harmless to the body, these words mean an adult. Radiation affects cells that are capable of dividing; an adult has practically none. A pregnant girl has such cells, since the baby does nothing but grow and develop in the womb. X-rays will pass through the fetus and can harm the body of the “future little man.”

Correct advice: what to do if they appear.

If you have undergone fluorography while in an interesting position, then there are several points to consider:

• if fluorography was performed using a classic (film) device, a consultation with a geneticist is required;
• fluorography done on a digital device is less harmful, but there is no research data on how this will affect the child;
• If you have undergone a procedure such as fluorography in the early stages of pregnancy, then doctors recommend undergoing all routine examinations, including ultrasound, where you can find out in advance about the absence of malformations of the baby.

To minimize the negative impact of fluorography, it is necessary to take into account the timing of this procedure.

1. Diagnosis made in the first weeks after conception is considered harmless, since at this time the baby is reliably protected.
2. From the 3rd to the 20th week - there is a high risk of developing genetic diseases; you urgently need to consult a geneticist.
3. Starting from the 20th week, doctors believe that fluorography during pregnancy will not harm the fetus.

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Contraindications to the procedure

There are certain contraindications to performing a procedure such as fluorography during pregnancy. Let's take a closer look at them.

Risks and dangers

Existing risks.

1. Undergoing fluorography in the early stages can cause negative consequences for the cells of the embryo at the genetic level, which leads to serious diseases of the internal organs or spontaneous miscarriage.
2. The likelihood of developing blood cancer in a child increases.
3. A delay in the baby's mental and physical development may occur.
4. Nature has put “natural selection” into our bodies. If this procedure greatly harms the embryo, the body will reject the “fetus”, i.e. a miscarriage will occur.
5. If nothing serious has happened and the pregnancy is going well, then most likely everything is fine with the baby.

Precautionary measures:

• Experts have the opinion that when X-rays are applied to body organs that are not reproductive, there is very little chance of harming the baby (if the procedure is carried out in compliance with all precautions, then nothing serious threatens the development and health of the child, because modern devices have a reduced radiation dose; that is why we can say that fluorography during pregnancy is allowed);
• there is also such a precaution as a lead apron, which covers all the woman’s reproductive organs;
• If you are still prescribed this examination, first discuss your situation with your doctor, and whenever possible, postpone the procedure until after your pregnancy.

Fluorography procedure with precautions

Examination of the future father

Many people do not understand why a husband’s fluorography is needed during his wife’s pregnancy, because it is indirectly related to the process of bearing a baby.

1. The future father is prescribed this procedure in order to exclude the presence of tuberculosis.
2. The doctor may also ask everyone living with the girl to undergo fluorography to rule out possible infection.
3. This procedure is mandatory for the future father, but he has the right to refuse it by writing a corresponding statement.
4. If you still don’t understand why your husband needs fluorography, just play it safe. Such an examination will take you one day, and you will have peace of mind for the entire period of bearing the baby.

Today you can find many forums where people leave their reviews about undergoing fluorography while carrying a baby. Among the diversity of opinions, there are only isolated cases where a child was born with disabilities.

However, even here it is impossible to say 100% that x-rays are to blame for this pathology. As a rule, most reviews are positive: there were risks, fears prevailed, but the baby was born healthy.

That is why you should not immediately panic if you have undergone an x-ray during pregnancy and resort to an abortion procedure. First, consult several specialists, listen to different opinions and make a decision that your inner voice will tell you. Moreover, today it is possible to conduct screening and obtain advice from a geneticist.

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Fluorography provides the most complete picture of the health of the lungs and heart. Therefore, it is advisable to undergo such an examination even during pregnancy planning. However, this cannot always be done on time. Therefore, the question arises about whether pregnant women can have fluorography. Just ten years ago, the answer to this would have been clearly negative. But today, many mothers undergo such an examination, and it does not cause any complications when carrying a child. Let's figure out in what cases this happens.

What is fluorography and how does it threaten the fetus?

Fluorography is an x-ray examination that allows you to see a shadow image of the lungs and heart, as well as identify abnormalities: tumors, foci of infection, structural changes, etc. In this case, the body of the person being examined receives a small dose of radiation. However, it is absolutely safe for an adult. So, why shouldn’t pregnant women have fluorography? They are adults and healthy women.

Of course, it’s hard to disagree with this. But during pregnancy, life begins in the mother’s body. At the same time, the cells of the unborn child are in a continuous process of division and growth. And exposure to X-rays can provoke a disruption of the entire development process of the child. This in turn can lead to abnormalities or even death of the fetus.

That is why fluorography in the early stages of pregnancy, when all the vital organs of the unborn child are born, is prohibited.

Is fluorography always dangerous during pregnancy?

Unfortunately, there are often cases when a woman undergoes a routine fluorographic examination without knowing that she is pregnant. If this happened to you literally 1–2 weeks pregnancy, then there is no need to worry. At such early stages of pregnancy, the embryo is reliably protected. If any changes occurred in the development of the fertilized egg or zygote, a spontaneous termination of pregnancy would follow, which you would not even know about.

If you had fluorography done in the early stages of pregnancy during 3 to 20 weeks inclusive, then you definitely need to see a geneticist and take genetic tests. It is not at all necessary that something bad happens to your unborn child. However, it is during this period that the greatest risk of developing fetal anomalies arises due to fluorographic examination.

However, most doctors believe that after 20th weeks is possible do fluorography for pregnant women. At this time, the risk is already minimal. In addition, modern technologies make it possible to undergo digital fluorography, which exposes the body to the lowest dose of radiation.

In addition, during this procedure, a pregnant woman must wear a lead apron, which protects the uterus from radiation. However, it is already located significantly below the lungs, and therefore does not fall under direct rays during fluorography.

It was all this that caused medical disputes on the topic of whether pregnant women can undergo fluorography or not. However, while the debate has not resulted in victory for either side, this examination continues to be prohibited for pregnant women.

Remember that the maximum that can be required of you during pregnancy is fluorography of your husband and relatives living in the same apartment with you. Why do you need to do this? Only in order to identify the degree of risk for you and your child. After all, tuberculosis is a very dangerous disease that is easily transmitted by airborne droplets. And it is precisely this that is primarily detected by fluorographic examination.

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