Radiation is something we are exposed to on a daily basis; it's in the air we breathe. Radiation is used in hospitals, research laboratories, and in many medical procedures. It is also commonly used as a treatment for cancer. In some cases it helps and in others it doesn't. Radiation is used to treat cancer because it kills cells. The problem is that it is killing healthy cells at the same time it is killing cancer cells. Even though medical imaging emits radiation, it allows us to detect significant injuries and diseases. Radiation is measured in different ways and has numerous side effects on our body depending on the dosage. We are exposed to it in the environment unintentionally and sometimes during treatment intentionally. Additionally, research is underway to reduce the amount of radiation in medical procedures. We must first understand what radiation is. Radiation occurs when excess energy is released. This process occurs when unstable atoms become stable. This happens to radioactive materials. There are three common types of radiation emissions. They are alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays. Alpha particles can be dangerous if they are inhaled or swallowed. They can also enter your body through a cut, but they cannot get past human skin. Beta particles can be very dangerous to your health if they are swallowed, inhaled or if they enter through a cut. It is important to know that it can sometimes enter through the skin, unlike alpha particles. In most cases, it's best to have a thicker layer covering the skin to make sure it doesn't go through the skin. The most severe type of radiation emission occurs through gamma rays. Like the other two, it can cause serious harm if... half of the paper ......reduces patients' radiation exposure. The first thing is that they will only schedule an imaging exam if completely necessary. Secondly, they are focusing on dose optimization. Third, they are reducing their patients' dosage to the lowest level possible (Shrestha). Radiation is everywhere around us and exposure to it is inevitable. Some exposure, like environmental exposure, is unintentional. We are also intentionally exposed to it in medical imaging. As mentioned above, there are many positives and negatives to radiation. Medical imaging has grown tremendously over the years and allows us to detect injuries and diseases. The downside of radiation is all the dangerous health effects that can harm our bodies. There is a lot of research that scientists are working on to reduce the amount of radiation our body is exposed to during medical imaging.