Medical Uses Of Microwave Radiation

Exposure to high levels of microwaves can cause a painful burn.

Medical uses of microwave radiation.

Microwaves are high frequency radio waves radiofrequency fields and like visible radiation light are part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Microwave ovens and health. Microwaves are used primarily for tv broadcasting radar for air and sea navigational aids and telecommunications including mobile phones. Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from about one meter to one millimeter.

Different sources define different frequency ranges as microwaves. With frequencies between 300 mhz 1 m and 300 ghz 1 mm. Two areas of the body the eyes and. Microwave ovens work by using very high levels of a certain frequency of rf radiation in the microwave spectrum to heat foods.

The most well known is using x rays to see whether bones are broken. The above broad definition includes both uhf and ehf millimeter wave bands a more common definition in radio frequency engineering is the range between 1. The broad area of x ray use is called radiology. Microwave radiation can heat body tissue the same way it heats food.

Microwave radiation coming out from radar and other equipment such as long distance telephone and television communication relay systems medical diathermic equipment and certain devices used for rapid cooking may cause corneal cataracts and testicular damage. Research continues on possible biological effects of exposure to rf mw radiation from radios cellular phones the processing and cooking of foods heat. They are also. Microwave thermotherapy is being used in medicine for cancer treatment and treatment of other diseases since early 1980s.

Or that it may destroy the micro some say that microwave radiation can damage one s genetics dna and subsequently cause cancer. The varian boys out of stanford microwave hall of famers pretty much made medical linear accelerators the mainstay of cancer treatment with their research in the 1940 s eclipsing the use of active cobalt 60 radiation sources with a much more controllable and power off safe radiation source. Within radiology we find more specialized areas like mammography computerized tomography ct and nuclear medicine the specialty where radioactive material is usually injected into the patient. Have you ever been worried about using your microwave oven because you ve heard that it may harm you in some way.

Microwaves do not use x rays or gamma rays and they do not make food radioactive. When food absorbs microwaves it causes the water molecules in the food to vibrate which produces heat.