Chest X-ray - to do or not to do

Hey folks,

I have my pre-annual checkup lab work up next week with my GP. He always includes chest x-ray. I know some folks worry about unnecessary radiation exposure. Should I or should I not submit to the chest x-ray?

I'm sick with a cold right now and when I cough, it feels like I've got some congestion in my upper chest. I also got some Lyme labs the other day and looks like I have chronic mycoplasma and chlamydia pneumonia. I seriously doubt those would be seen on an x-ray, though, as they typically cause low grade inflammation as opposed to acute pneumonia symptoms. Don't know if anything Lyme/co related would ever show on a chest x-ray. Curious about benefits vs risks.

Looking for opinions, including from any of you in the medical field. Thanks!

Your GP has you do an annual chest x-ray? How long have you been doing those?

I would not do yearly X-rays of my chest.

I had a few X-rays - trying to figure out what I had (before diagnosis) and one was a CT scan...that has even higher radiation.
Now, I'm staying away unless it's necessary.


Since you have a cold...I wouldn't bother anyway...as anything that it shows could be the congestion from your cold.