Since learning about the harmful effects of radiation on the human body, medical professionals use various leaded products to ensure safety. From many years of successful use in medical facilities, leaded garments and gears are considered standard options for radiation attenuation.
As one of the most closely exposed body parts, professionals’ hands are highly vulnerable to radiation exposure and require the right protective gear before any radiological procedures.
For healthcare professionals, radiation gloves provide the highest safety against x-ray radiation. However, for lightweight protection options, some people may consider using lead cream. Though the manufacturers often claim that lead cream can attenuate radiation, you should learn if the level of safety it offers is adequate to protect your hands.
Why should you worry about the impacts of radiation on your hands?
Radiation-induced cellular damage raises severe concerns about the possibility of severe subsequent health problems. High radiation exposure might lead to illnesses like cancer later in life in someone who spent years at a radiological facility. It’s also important to remember that because the effects of exposure aren’t always obvious right away, the consequences may be neglected.
Because of the effects on the human body, X-rays have been designated a carcinogen by both the US government and the World Health Organization.
Professionals who work in X-ray units must regularly utilize their hands for a variety of tasks. As a result, the hands are the body parts most exposed to the x-ray radiation beam. As a result, hands are extremely prone to undesirable results.
Can lead cream provide enough safety?
Lead cream manufacturers may emphasize their product’s effectiveness. However, the cream’s efficiency may not always be up to standard.
Even if a lead cream is good enough to provide necessary attenuation, there are still some risks in regard to applying it. There’s always a possibility that the cream will rub off, leaving an exposed spot. Again, while using a cream, it’s important to ensure that the entire skin area is covered, which isn’t always simple.
Lead cream applied to the skin can flake or wear off, and there is a risk of gloves damage due to chemical reactions.
The FDA has stated that radiation protection creams should not be regarded as a class 1 device and that using radiation protection creams poses dangers to both the practitioner and the patient.
The FDA has recognized the dangers of X-ray attenuation cream as an unfavourable tissue reaction from direct contact with the skin and infection risk for the patient from interaction with contaminated or compromised cream because of gloves damage or failure.
Furthermore, glove failure might develop as a result of inconsistencies with the cream formulation, decreasing the surgical gloves’ mechanical properties.
The benefits of lead gloves
Radiation-attenuating gloves are frequently used in fluoroscopy, cardiac Cath lab, and other x-ray facilities to reduce the danger of scatter beam radiation exposure. The x-ray passes through the body, making contact with interior structures each time a picture is obtained.
Multiple photographs are required for these treatments to be successful. However, the detrimental effects of scatter beam radiation on physicians and assistants can be mitigated by wearing radiation gloves.
Lead gloves are made to reduce the strength of x-ray radiation before it reaches your hands, keeping your hands safe. Leaded gloves serve as a radiation barrier. Radiation protection via lead shielding has been proven and verified. The radiation cannot pass with all of its intensity while you wear these gloves. The leaded shield deflects and absorbs the majority of the radiation before allowing a little quantity to pass through. So, in addition to wearing a lead apron to cover your entire body, you should also put on leaded gloves to protect your hands.
