chest xray, nipple piercings...and fishing line?!?

Question

I have to get a chest xray, and the hospital says i have to take out my nipple piercings for the xray. The problem is I just got them pierced this week, and I know they will heal up within a few hours. My piercer says to keep them open I can put fishing line through the nipple and then just tie the ends. But I'm worried that the hole will shrink up too much to put the rings back in. Anyone think I can somehow save this incredibly expensive piercing?

Answer 1

RadTech is exactly right. Having a piercing in your body for a x-ray will not harm you, but it can hide some of the lung tissue. A disease process can be missed if the nipple ring is superimposed on the lung tissue. But, other than that, the nipple rings + x-rays will not harm you.

A chest x-ray is the fastest medical imaging exam we do. You would literally need to remove the jewelry for 2 minutes....just long enough to snap two images. Take the rings out in your dressing room, while you are changing into your gown, and put them back in when the radiologic technologist leaves to develop your images.

Answer 2

Piercings On Chest

Answer 3

I hate when people answer questions that they aren't qualified to answer!

Trish: Stainless steel and titanium do NOT damage your body while being x-rayed. You have to remove jewelry in the area of interest (nipple rings for a chest x-ray, ring for a hand x-ray, etc. If you are getting a neck x-ray, I don't care if you have nipple piercings, bracelets, or anything else that isn't in the area.) The reason for this is that the piercing could hide something. Do you want to miss something important in your lungs?

There are 2 pictures done for chest x-rays and will take about 2 minutes. They don't need to be out for hours.

Answer 4

The piercings will block tissue or bone that the dr is trying to see. If you have a lesion behind the rings, it wont be diagnosed. The key to beating cancer and many other disease is early diagnosis. So you have a choice, take the things out or get a shitty xray and endanger your life. Which is more important?
Xray tech

Answer 5

well if your peiricer said thats what to do then he probably knows what hes talking about. the chest xray definitely needs to come first.

Answer 6

I had to have x-rays done with mine and i just replaced them with the clear plastic fillers for tongue rings. They will complain about them when you show up for the x-ray but stand ur ground and they will do it with the plastic ones in.

They will close very quickly and fishing line will not keep the holes open. Opening will shrink.

Make sure to wash your hands and all jewelry with antibacterial soap before messing with them.

Answer 7

You could put fishing line in for jewelry, but it would probably shrink a lot and the piercer would have to use a taper to stretch them back up so you can get the jewelry back in.

Do you have to take your shirt/bra off for the xray? Will the nurse/doctor see your nipples? If not, you could have the piercer put quartz jewelry in them. The reason they say not to wear jewelry for x-rays because the stainless steel and titanium can damage your body while being x-rayed. Jewelry, such as quartz, doesn't have a reaction with xrays like stainless steel does.

Answer 8

You shouldn't take them out. The best thing to do would be to get some organic (nothing porous like acrylic though) plugs to put in.

Answer 9

I would not recommend taking out the piercings because they need 2 weeks at least to heal, otherwise they can get seriously infected (when u get pierced everything is sterilized!) and if your nipples get infected it can very seriious u can lose out on all sensitivity and also get NASTY scars on ur boobies

Answer 10

OUCH!!